Royalty
by PreciousPersephone
Summary: Hatred between two heirs, click the story for more information. Amuto
1. Info

There is a large landmass divided into two halves, ruled by two royal families. The Northern half is named Dragran, known for their mines filled with jewels such as rubies and diamonds. Dragran is ruled by the Hinamori family, they have one eighteen-year-old princess who is expected to take the throne on her nineteenth birthday.

The Southern half is named Hinyst, which gain their wealth from their oil and coal, factories polluting most of the country. Hinyst is ruled by the Tsukiyomi's, who have a prince ready to take the throne as well.

These are the most powerful countries in the world. Amu Hinamori is the future queen of Dragran and Ikuto Tsukiyomi is the future king of Hinyst, both seeking an eligible member of a royal family to rule beside them. Everyone is expecting for the two countries to finally become one, but the hatred between the two heirs is making it more than impossible to do so.

So what if all of the eligible bachelors for Princess Amu stay at her castle, including the scheming Prince Ikuto? Will their hatred whither away in the castle walls, or will it be enough to make everything around them collapse?

* * *

 **I'm back after like five thousand years, so hey, what's up, hello? I missed my daily dosage of writing some Amuto so here's something that I thought of. Hope all of you enjoy it!**

 **xoxo, PP**


	2. Prologue

Perhaps my corset was too tight, perhaps my neat bun was tied so tight that the circulation to my brain was cut off. Maybe the blisters on my feet from these heels were causing so much pain that I was going to faint.

No, I've been doing this for eighteen years, and today is no different.

"Princess, please hurry! Your parents request your presence at today's breakfast!" My attendant called for me as I stared at myself in the mirror. I was well aware of why my parents had called me in this morning, despite most of us having our breakfast in bed. My birthday was in a month, and my expected wedding date is supposed to be in three months.

Even though I have never even met my groom.

My attendant busted into my room, unfortunately locks were not available to me due to the fact that I could be killed in this very room by any assassins. Our royal family was quite loved, but it was always a caution.

"Princess Amu, you know good and well that if you are late, your parents will have my head on a plate." She adjusted the long sleeves on my dress and I groaned.

"It is summer, I am sweating in this dress already, why must I keep my sleeves down?"

"It is improper to wear your sleeves like that in front of your own parents, you know this." She finally dragged me out of my bedroom and down the east wing of the castle. I glanced at myself in the reflections of passing glass cases of multiple family artifacts that we kept up so my sister and I are constantly reminded of our family's tragic but heroic history.

Mio was an elegant thirty-year-old woman with the weight of the world on her shoulders. I am more than certain that it would be easier to write down what she wasn't in charge of, and the only thing on that list was to wipe the King and Queen's bums after they were done in the bathroom.

As disgusting as that example was, it was true.

When I take on the role as the queen, I am hoping to relieve some of the stress, she was like a second mother to me after all.

Two guards who stood at the double doors of the dining room bowed at the presence of me, opening the doors for the two of us. Mio took this time to adjust her beige pencil skirt and sew a tight smile onto her lips. We walked side-by-side until I reached my official chair at the table, bowing at the sight of my mother and father.

"Good morning, King and Queen." I greeted them and sat down, taking the napkin and placing it on my lap. My younger sister was already seated, her back perfectly erect and not the slightest sign of happiness on her face. Could I blame her, simply being around the King and the Queen was tiring itself.

"Good morning Princess Amu." My parents said in eerie unison. Once they had spoken, waiters dressed in all white walked out in a line from the door on right, the clatter of dishes filling the large room in echoes. They separated off to place our meals in front of us, taking the silver cloche off of the food. I knew it was a special occasion due to the fact that my dish was prepared with my favorite breakfast foods; eggs, french toast, and a side of strawberries. My sister Ami had a bowl of oatmeal that had been placed on a plate surrounded by a variety of berries smelled of maple syrup.

Before any of us began to eat, the two of us stared at our parents, knowing there was big news.

"As we know, nineteen is the age most princesses in the Hinamori family are wed. We shall maintain tradition, so in three months, Amu shall have her wedding." My father announced and my heart tightened, I was expecting this, but hearing it said to me forced me to accept the reality of it. "As we all know, the prince of Hinyst has recently turned twenty-one, which means he is ready to wed as well."

Females of a royal family were expected wed younger than men, for reasons unknown. I thought it was rather unfair, the boys had three more years of single freedom before practically being sold off to another country or being pushed into responsibility for your own.

"Hinyst? The country that is covered in smog?" Ami scrunched up her nose in disgusted, earning a glare from our mother.

Ami and I have been taught of the country Hinyst since we were old enough to speak, it neighbored our own and depended on polluting resources such as burning coal in large factories that covered their land. Their ways of living were different from ours, but both our family and their royal family have been planning to combine our countries to combine our powers.

Though, this has not happened. Marriages are forced, but you are allowed to choose your partner, but if you do not choose before the deadline, you are going to be stuck with someone of the family's choosing.

And if you haven't heard of the prince of Hinyst, you have been living under a rock. I've seen pictures of him in my history lessons, he is a handsome but very reckless adult. I have no doubt in my mind that if he is eligible for marriage, princesses will not wait to pounce on that opportunity.

The kingdom of Hinyst doesn't enforce the rules as much as our kingdom does on our country of Dragran, most of the people live on farms and live happily in the economy they have. Even though their health issues are rising, it is one of the best countries to live in.

"I believe two or three more princes are available this year, but they are of the smaller countries." My father informed me and I nodded.

"I understand." I said and we all began to eat silently.

* * *

 **Ikuto**

I threw the football as hard as I could as Kukai went to go chase it, I laughed as he tripped and fell on his face trying to catch it, but it still landed on his chest.

"What am I, a cheetah? I can't run that fast for some flying pig-skin!" Kukai mocked his own Southern accent by making it stronger, my eyes filled with moisture from laughing so hard. "You will never grow old of that, will you?"

"Never, I never thought living at your grandfather's for the beginning of your life could make you gain an accent." Kukai was the prince of Raskel, which was one of those countries that followed every Southern stereotype that existed.

"I can't believe that we both have to get married." Kukai sighed, obviously upset by the idea. We were both the same age, and now both eligible to wed a wife of our choosing, as long as they were from a royal family themselves. "Do you know if you're staying in Hinyst, or going to rule another country?"

"I was assigned to go into another country, and Utau will rule this one." He tossed the football back to me. Each royal family were to have two heirs, one that would go off to rule another country, and one that would rule their home country. There were an even number of countries, so you are either assigned to stay or to leave.

"What if I ruled your country?" Kukai smirked at me and I shook my head in disbelief.

"You know Utau will only be eligible to rule in two years." I rolled my eyes at his absurd ideas.

"Raskel never follows the rules, my parents won't mind ruling for two more years."

"Marry my sister and I will probably kill you." I gave him a wicked grin that he shrunk under.

"So scary Ikuto, what woman would want to marry you with that gaze." He faked a sniffle, I pegged the ball at his stomach and he winced.

"I would rather my sister marry a duke than you." I said playfully. Usually when there is an uneven amount of girls and boys, a duke or duchess would take the role and become a member of the royal family. Unlike the the princesses and princes, dukes and duchesses could marry anyone they pleased unless they were forced into a marriage with the royal family.

"Hurtful." He pouted, throwing the ball back to me and I ran for it until it finally landed into my hands. "Wasn't the princess of Dragran assigned to rule her own country?"

"Yes, so?"

"So the rumors might be true then. If you two marry, then the two countries shall become a continent."

"I don't want to rule that country, the princess is probably as prissy as the rest of the country." I groaned, knowing that I still had to present myself to her anyway. "They're the only country who still has nineteen-year-old girls becoming queens, that place would rather start war than break tradition."

"The princess is pretty hot though, and you never know. Maybe she is secretly rebellious and is just waiting for the right bad boy to set her free." Kukai faked a swoon and I snorted.

"You disgust me." The idea intrigued me though, to ruin the innocence of the princess of Dragran. "Maybe I will have a little fun in Dragran."

"There's the spirit. I'm not sure who's country I'm going to yet." Kukai shrugged. "Hopefully it's Ryunt, I love blondes." He told me and I chuckled.

"I heard she has a thick skull." I reminded him.

"To put up with it is just the price of true love." He placed a hand over his chest dramatically.

"Shut up and learn to catch." I threw the ball at him once again.

* * *

 **Mostly a bit of the rules of how this world works and so you can understand the situations both Amu and Ikuto are in.**

 **I don't know how often I will update this story, but I will not be giving up on it no matter what.**

 **xoxo, PP**


	3. Chapter 1 : The Ball

**Amu**

As I stepped out to the garden, I found myself aimlessly wandering in the maze of the rose bushes as I thought about my future engagement. Of course everyone wanted me to wed the heir of Hinyst so there was a chance that we could form a powerful continent, so that pressure is already on my shoulders.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi, that was the prince's name. A lovely name to suit a lovely face, but what if he is a dirty conniving snob? My father says they're all like that, but he is so judgmental sometimes that I'm not sure if I should trust him. They might not enforce their rules as much as we do, but that doesn't mean that it is a terrible country.

I plucked a rose from one of the bushes, minding the thorns as I twirled it around in my fingers, staring into the petals as a heavy sigh escaped my lips. In all of the novels I have read, in every movie that I watched, the woman falls in love and marries that man. What if I get stuck in a marriage I don't want to be a part of? The deadline is in two months, how am I to fall in love with a man in two months?

"Amu!" I heard and looked up, seeing my sister running towards me, holding the front of her dress up so she wouldn't trip.

"Yes?" I asked when she finally reached me.

"I wanted to talk to you, I have a break from my science lesson." She told me with a small smile.

"What do you wanted to talk about?" I wrapped my arm around hers as we continued to walk together.

"You know all of princes right?" She asked.

"I know of them, if I personally knew them, this would be a much easier decision." I told her.

"Do you have any idea who you want to marry?" We paused for a moment and I unhooked my arm from hers, pondering for a moment.

"Truthfully, no. I only know one of the suitors who shall be staying in our castle, which is the prince of Hinyst. But I believe that after two months, I will know what I want out of a marriage, and know who can give it to me. When you are ready for marriage, you will find someone who shall truly love you as well." I handed her the rose, making sure not a single thorn pricked one of her slim fingers.

Upon one of them was a ring with our family jewel, a ruby. A coruscating crimson was illuminated by the sunlight, the golden band accenting the red brilliantly. It was one of the first jewels that our founders found, and ultimately became the most important part of our family, since it was what let us strive and expand our land.

 _Something your mother taught you was to not be selfish, and to marry just for yourself is as selfish as can be_ , my bitter subconscious nipped at my heart, the thought of disappointing my country, my parents, my own sister was a bit too much to handle.

"When are the princes coming?" She asked curiously.

"Tomorrow in the afternoon, we shall be having a fancy masquerade party for their arrival, so make sure Mio picks out the best dress you own." I told her and she nodded. Ami was still sixteen, she had three more years until she has to worry about these types of things. For now, I can at least put her mind at ease about it by pretending it wasn't a big deal.

* * *

"This is such a big deal! Does this dress even match my mask?" I asked Mio with a frown, Mio hesitated and I groaned. "Do I switch the mask or the dress?"

"Princess Amu, please calm down. It's not like you need a mask in the first place. I mean what is the point of a masquerade party when you can tell the difference by the colors of their hair?" She began to mutter incoherent things about the party while I stared at myself in the mirror.

My dress was blood red, skin tight and sleek until it reached my waist, flowing out and covered it multiple layers of ruffles. My pink hair was tied up into fancy bun and my ears were decorated with golden chandelier earrings that matched my showy necklace. To top it off, my golden princess tiara, that I soon would be trading in for a crown.

"Please tell me you are not considering changing the dress because if so, I will have to call-"

"No, I like it." I mumbled. It was elegant and chic, it practically belonged in any little girl's princess dream. Something about it called to me, gave me a new boost of confidence. Perhaps the color, or the way it complimented my figure, just something.

"So a new mask?" Mio asked and I nodded, she scurried out of the room and quickly returned with a golden one, matching the accents of my outfit perfectly. We stepped out together and waited for my sister to emerge from her room in a gorgeous baby blue dress and a silver mask. We all walked down to the ballroom where I could already hear the music. Mio and Ami went inside first, telling me that the guards will open the doors from the inside for me once they were ready.

My nerves were acting up as I waited, wanting to just step in and get it over with. Oh goodness what if I trip, did mother say anything about having to give a speech, is my some of my dress caught in my underwear?

I heard the creaking of the large doors and instantly stood up straight and adjusted my tiara before plastering a smile on my face. As the doors slowly opened, I was revealed to an applauding crowd, walking in while waving towards every side. I managed not to trip while making my way to my position beside my mother, who had the microphone.

"The dear princess has no idea who the eligible bachelors are in this pair, besides the fact that they are all wearing red masks and they are also holding cards from a deck. At the end of the party, Princess Amu will pick the one who made the best impression by which card they have, and that lucky bachelor will have the opportunity to go on the first date with her." The audience hummed and whispered. "Now we begin!" She announced and the casual chatter continued.

My mind ran wild, when will they approach me, will they be polite or rude?

"Good evening, my princess." I heard someone behind me and I jumped in fright, turning around to see a boy with a cloak covering his head, and a mask covering his face. The shadow of his cloak cast on his face had made his eyes seem brown, but I don't think that was their actual color.

"Good evening." I greeted him, I noticed a card poking out of his shirt pocket, a red heart. "My prince." I quickly added, bowing. I was hoping Mio was right about their hair revealing their identity, but whoever planned this thought everything through.

"May we dance?" He stuck his hand out and I put mine in his as he led me out to the dance floor. Could this possibly be the prince of Hinyst, I prayed that he had a good heart if it was him.

"You seem nervous." He pointed out with a chuckle.

"A little yes, not knowing who anyone is scares me a little." I confessed.

"I don't mean to frighten you princess, just know I shall not do anything that isn't meant with the goodness of my heart." He gave me a genuine smile and I felt relief, letting him glide me across the dance floor. We talked about things, but nothing that gave me a hint on who he was. We finished and I was going back until I felt myself trip, something catching me before my face collided into the floor.

"You don't even know who I am and you're already throwing yourself at my, princess." The man spoke up in a low voice while helping me stand back up. He was dressed the same way as the last one, except he had a card with a black club.

"Please excuse me, I don't know what suddenly took my balance away."

"Not enough practice on those heels, I suppose." He joked and I chuckled.

"Perhaps." I tucked a loose hair behind my ear.

"I saw that the first prince already had the chance to dance with you, hope he didn't charm you enough to give up on me." His lips formed a pout.

"Of course not." At those words, he placed his hands on my waist and I was shocked. The first prince wasn't as forceful, but maybe I was just overreacting. My arms wrapped around his neck instinctively, one would usually go in his hand and the other would go on his shoulder, but I suppose maybe he was taught differently.

"So princess, how was the first prince?" He asked me, the question was strange but maybe he was afraid of the competition.

"Charming." I told him and he hummed.

"Seems boring, don't you think?" He cocked his head curiously at me, a deep shimmer in his eyes but I still couldn't make out the color.

"E-Excuse me?" I felt intimidated, his body was extremely close to mine and he was also a bit taller than me, but so was the other prince.

"A nice prince, I can sense the need to rebel within you." He whispered and my eyes widened as I felt his hand travel down a little lower.

"I would appreciate it if your hand moved back to up its original spot." I growled at him and a smirk met his lips.

"You make it so obvious that you are a virgin." I was stunned by how crude he was, how could this man be destined to rule a country one day? I grabbed his wrists and placed them at his sides, glaring at him as I walked away. I found my mother and told her that I had made my decision.

"May the two princes please step up?" My mother spoke into the microphone, there was some shuffling as the two emerged from the crowd, the hoods of their cloaks still up. Everything was silent as the Queen commanded them to take out their cards, both of them getting down on one knee while pulling out their card, their heads down while sticking the cards out toward me.

"I choose..." I paused, walking between the two. I felt disgusted just looking at the black club. "The red heart!" I took the card out of his hand. The man proceeded to slowly take off his mask and hand that to me as well. The figure stood up slowly, the curiosity killing me. He flicked his head up, the hood falling down and I couldn't believe my eyes.

The prince of Hinyst

* * *

 **Ikuto**

Once I finished my dance with the princess, I quickly looked for the second cloaked figure in the room. I knew there were only two princes in the ball, one of them being myself. I finally found him and made my way towards him, ramming my shoulder into his. The man shut his eyes in pain, I took the time to swiftly switch our cards, barely being able to slip mine into his pocket unnoticed before he finally looked at me.

"I apologize." I said, hoping he didn't notice my smirk. The Queen of Dragran called for us and we made our way over to the front of the ball, where the princess stood, waiting for us. We knelt down, our heads down as we stuck out our cards. I knew damn well I wouldn't be able to contain myself as soon as I saw her walk into the room with that dress on. I had to have the first date, I am the prince of Hinyst after all.

"The red heart!" She called out and I stood up slowly, finally putting my head up and letting the hood pool at my neck. Behind the mask, her golden eyes were wide with shock and what seemed to be relief. I looked back at the other prince, who seemed to be confused by his own card. I ignored him and took her hand gently, kissing the top of it.

"It would be my pleasure to take you out on the first date." Applause engulfed us and she could barely look me in the eyes.

I already had her right where I wanted her.

* * *

 **Ikuto is a sneaky little fox isn't he?**

 **xoxo, PP**


	4. Chapter 2 : The Date Gone Wrong

**Amu**

There was some sort relief and joy in finding out that the prince who appealed to me the most was the prince of Hinyst. It was soon revealed that the other prince was from Abrax, a medium-sized country that thrived on spices.

I placed the card on my bedside table along with the mask he gave me, call me obsessive but I like to save items that mean a lot to me. Perhaps one day I will show my own children the card and the mask, and tell them how their father was a graceful dancer that managed to make me swoon.

Compare to that swine that placed his hands in innapropriate places. Abrax was supposed to be polite and well-mannered, while he was everything but. His name is Hotori Tadase, a boy with eyes that matched a ruby and golden hair that could compare with the petals of sunflowers. He looked rather kind, but I guess you should never judge a book by its cover.

I slipped into my silk pajamas and crawled into my bed, relishing in the way my pink satin covers felt against my freshly shaved legs. For the first time in two days, I felt like I could fall asleep calmly.

I hummed as Mio prepared me an outfit for my first date with the prince, she smiled at the sight of me.

"You seem joyful this evening." She commented.

"I am, for I might be able to marry a sweet gentleman." I told her and she took out a mint green summer dress with white polka dots covering it with a sweetheart neckline, it ended right above my knees and seemed perfect for today.

"Yes, absolutely yes. May you please grab my floppy sun hat?" I asked her and dug through my drawers until she finally found it. I began to dress myself, not minding if Mio was in the room. She has been dressing me since I was young, what am I to be embarrassed of now? Mio then proceeded to get my white knee-highs and hand them to me, and while I put them on, she typed something on her tablet.

"Your schedule is planned out, you shall have a picnic in the garden with Prince Ikuto and finish in an hour. Then you have a history lesson quickly followed by an anatomy lesson." She told me and I nodded.

"Got it, I'll see you later then." I kissed her cheek before running out of my room, regaining my composure as soon as I reached the main entrance where Prince Ikuto was waiting for me. Just like myself, he was dressed casually. He wore a white shirt with ripped jeans, I've never seen a boy in ripped jeans but I wasn't complaining. He looked up from his phone once he noticed my presence a little smirk met his lips when he looked at me.

"You look fantastic." He told me and I instantly blushed.

"Thank you, and you do as well." I complimented him back and his arm slithered around my waist, the action surprising me but it was somewhat comforting. Since he still didn't know where to go, I led him to the garden outside. Outside were guards waiting with a basket and red-and-white checkered blanket. They set everything up for us and left us alone, we both sat down and took one of the ham sandwiches.

"So Princess," He said in a low voice, one that was different from last night, but still seemed familiar. "Why did you choose me?"

"You were very kind and charming, and the other prince was disgusting." I told him, taking a bite out of my sandwich and swallowing it. "He thought it was alright to touch me how he pleased and speak to me in a manner that was unnacceptable."

"Really? Something like this?" Ikuto placed a hand on my hip, rubbing me and I felt a warm sensation spiral through me. He even leaned in a whispered something in my ear that I would never dare to repeat, I pushed him off and stared at him with wide eyes.

"You're the black club prince! How d-did you even manage to get Tadase's card?" I was stunned, still feeling the lingering feeling his hand left.

"Easily." He responded taking a sip out of one of the tea cups.

"You can't just do that, Tadase deserves this date." I fired back.

"No, you chose the red heart, which I had at the time. I deserve this date, and you can't back out of it." He pointed out with a wicked smirk.

"You can't do anything to me, there are guards everywhere." I reminded him.

"I don't want to take your virginity princess." He scoffed and my face flushed. "I want to know what you're like."

"What I'm like?"

"Dragran is known for being the prissy country, so I want to see if you match." He chuckles, "I supposed you do."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked him.

"Are you a prissy little princess, and I my prediction is correct because you are one." He grabbed a grape from the pile of fruit we had.

"I am not prissy." I argued.

"You are prude, you can not handle a joke, and I am pretty sure you have never been outside of these castle walls." He listed off the reasons and there was surely a check on the last thing he said. My parents always said that a princess should handle matters inside of the castle, and that I could greet my people once I became queen. "I take your silence as confirmation."

"I am not prissy, you are a coniving pervert." I argued, not wanting to admit that he was somewhat right.

"I bet you haven't even had your first kiss yet." He said in a low voice, grabbing my chin and making sure I was making eye contact with him. I instantly grabbed his wrist, taking his pinky finger and pulling it back and he winced. "Ow, let me go!" He begged and I smiled tightly.

"Do not touch me without my permission." I let him go and he stared at his hand, I expected him to scream at me but instead he just smirked.

"Feisty." He chuckled.

"You might as well attend to a different princess because I am not choosing you to be my king." I spat and he shook his head.

"A lot can happen in three months, we fall in love with the most unexpected people." He popped another grape into his mouth.

"You think I'll fall in love with you? You are sadly mistaken, because you are too disgusting to fall in love with." I snapped and his crooked smile wavered momentarily.

"All of this anger and pent up sexual frustration is getting to you, I think you need to relieve some of it."

"What are you, a masochist?"

"That makes you the sadist." He winked at me and I shivered in disgust.

"If I could get up and leave right now, I absolutely would." I told him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"It starts like this, you know. This hate directed towards me becomes an obsession, constantly thinking about stuff you don't like about me." As he was speaking, I felt his body draw near mine, and I backed up. "Then you start thinking a little deeper, things that you actually like about me. It soon becomes lust, physical attraction that then later turns into love."

"It sounds like you have this planned out." I was intimidated, even though I did not want to admit it. Ikuto seemed certain, confident that it would work out this way.

"It's just how you girls work, such simple and stupid creatures." He smirked and I raised my hand, a stinging spreading across my palm as his cheek grew red.

"The only simple thing here is you." I stood up and brushed myself off. "This picnic was terrible to say the least, and I hope you never come to contact with me again." I smiled tightly at him and walked away, not caring about the fact that I had promised him an hour. He was a pig, someone I would never associate with him by my own free will.

"Sister, are you not supposed to be on your date?" Ami asked as she passed by me in the corridor, stopping to look at me.

"I shall not spend another second with that man, it is the twenty-first century and he treats women like we're animals. He even called me prissy." I scoffed, shuddering at the thought of him touching me again.

"You said he was a complete gentleman last night." She was confused by my reaction.

"He switched the cards so he would have the first date with me." I told her and she gasped.

"I just don't understand why he would switch the cards if he was going to be so cruel to you." She said and and I shrugged.

"He's a sadist, and I know what my decision will be in three months." I faked a smile for her. "I shall go speak to Tadase before my lessons to apologize for the inconvenience, he was the one who really deserved the date."

"Is it really smart doing that? You wouldn't want to start unnecessary conflict between them." Ami warned.

"With Ikuto's behavior, there will be conflict between the two anyway." I told her and she shrugged, we said our farewells and I made my way down the hall.


	5. Chapter 3 : The Spilled Milk

**Amu**

I could still feel Ikuto's lingering hand on my hip as I knocked on the prince's door, suddenly growing nervous. What if he was upset with me for choosing Ikuto and doesn't let me explain the situation to him?

The door opened and I flinched, quickly regaining my composure and putting on a smile as the prince with the kind smile appeared on the other side. God, how could I ever think that someone with his eyes could be pure evil?

"Prince Tadase." I curtsied out of respect.

"Please Princess Amu, I am in your home, you do not need to curtsey." He chuckled and I felt my face flush.

"Yes, of course." I cleared my throat. "I wanted to apologize for Prince Ikuto's behavior at the ball, you must have realized that he switched the cards."

"I didn't want to cause a scene, I didn't expect any less of him." Tadase seemed to shrug it off, but I raised a brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Prince Ikuto is very reckless, from what I've read about him in the Hinyst newspapers." He told me and I grew curious, I wanted to know what he did that was terrible enough to end up online or in newspapers.

Wait a minute, was this was Ikuto was talking about? The hatred turning into an obsession?

"Oh, well I just wanted to apologize. Soon enough both of us will be able to go on a date together." I didn't ask to see any newspapers, I wasn't going to follow Ikuto's thought-out plan like he wanted me to. I couldn't care less, or at I convince myself that I couldn't.

We exchanged our goodbyes and I walked down the hall, I still had a good half hour until I had to attend my lessons, so I walked down the long corridors to the far west side of the castle. This castle had been built a hundred years ago, but since then there has been additions and some parts of the building have been renovated and modernized, but the west corridor was never touched. I asked my parents when I was younger, and they said they considered tearing it down and making the garden larger, but they never got to it.

So I walked across the chipped and cracked floor, the wallpaper yellow from aging and beginning to peel off. Some of the lights flickered while others were completely dead, but I found strange comfort in the rather eerie hallway. I pushed open one of the double mahogany doors and it creaked open, its cries echoing in the almost empty room.

The grand piano stood in the middle of the room, the only light that came from the window was directly on it, the ebony wood of the piano shining. I always came in to clean it, so no dust would collect on it. No one knew I came here, it was my secret place where no one could hear me play and disturb me. When the royal pressure became too much, this would be the place I would sneak away to.

I sat down at the bench, taking off my hat and letting my hair out of its tight bun, letting it flow down to my waist. I cracked my fingers and placed them gently on the piano, playing a tune to a song that came into mind. After five years of always coming down here, I've managed to learn how to read music and actually play. I would always steal Mio's tablet to look up music and run into the room, I always knew I would get scolded for it but I didn't care.

I hummed along with the tune, singing along sometimes but quickly shutting my mouth, afraid that if anyone ever did find me, that they would hear my voice. I didn't think I sounded terrible, but I still didn't want anyone to hear me.

"I'll take care of you..." I sang silently, my fingers running along the piano smoothly. "I don't want to be here if I can't be with you, tonight." I finished and let out a heavy sigh. If only I could stay in here forever.

I finally decided that it was time for my lessons, so I ran through the hall, making a quick detour to my room to pick up my homework. From there, I made my way to the lesson room, where my teacher was at his desk, typing something on his laptop.

"Oh goodness, am I late?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Five minutes early, so you can get your homework out so we can go over it." He looked up and smiled at me and I nodded. I sat at my desk and placed my sheets of papers on the desk. Homework was collected weekly so he could just grade an entire packet all at once instead of one-by-one. "You were on your date with the prince, weren't you?"

"Yes, it went horribly though." I groaned, looking to vent about it to anyone. "Comparing him to a pig would be an insult to the pig!"

"Very spiteful Amu, you're usually not so quick to judge." Mr. Martinez spoke and I rolled my eyes.

"If you met him, you would feel exactly the same way." I told him and he scoffed.

"There's always a front to people, we as humans would never walk around vulnerable." He explained and I rolled my eyes, he stood up and picked my homework off of my desk. He flipped through the pages, giving me a satisfied nod once he was done. He started the lesson, but I still felt the perverted prince's fingers circling my hips as I attempted to pay attention.

* * *

I laid in my bed, looking over at the clock and I saw that it was already two in the morning. My eyes were burning and yawns constantly left my mouth, but everytime I shut my eyes, I didn't experience the comfort of sleep. I sat up and looked around my room, the only light available was from the moon, spilling in through my windows.

"Mother always said to get a glass of warm milk if this ever happened." I said in a mocking voice, standing up and leaving my room. I tip-toed all the way into the kitchen, open the large, silver fridge and taking out the milk. Most of my trips to the kitchen were during the night, since I could never get any sleep.

I poured myself some milk and placed it in the microwave, waiting for it to heat as I placed the milk back in the fridge. Sometimes I didn't even know why I bothered, I still couldn't sleep after the milk. My mother refuses to believe there might be something wrong with me, so she never has me checked out.

"Little princess actually doing something in the kitchen? Shocking." I heard and turned around, seeing Ikuto standing on the other side of the island in between us, leaning on it.

"Why are you not in bed?" I questioned him.

"I could be asking you the same thing, you have royal duties in the morning." He mocked me and I glared at him. He noticed the microwave and walked over to it, opening it and taking the milk out.

"Hey! I need that to go to sleep!" I attempted to get the glass, but he held it over his head, and unfortunately was winning in the height competition between us.

"To go to sleep? Milk won't help you with that." He drank it, my eyes widened as he chugged it down like a parched child.

"Make me another." I demanded.

"Oh no, I could never deny a princess, especially the heir of Dragran." He smirked at me and I gave up trying to get my milk back.

"What is your problem, I have done nothing wrong to you." I finally asked and he shrugged.

"You're just incredibly amusing when you're flustered." He admitted and I raised a brow at him.

"I'm not flustered, I am simply annoyed with you." I snapped. What came next was unexpected, I could only process the fact that I felt a warm liquid soak my night gown. He had spilled the rest of the milk on me, his eyes observing my body.

"Someone doesn't wear a bra when they go to sleep." He sucked his teeth. "Not as fun when I can't take it off myself." I was astonished, the audacity he had to spill milk on me, to treat me like I was a fun play toy. I couldn't help the fact that I was giving him the reaction he wanted; wide-eyed, flushed face, completely vulnerable to him.

What type of prince would act like this? Was he raised without being taught common courtesy, or how to act like a human being with morals? It was astonishing, he is a monster in every sense of the term.

"You disgust me Ikuto Tsukiyomi, I don't care if your title says prince, you just scream trash to me." I was seething, my anger has never reached this level before.

"Might want to call your helpers to clean this up for you." My words didn't affect him, which is what aggravated me the most. I stared into his eyes, they were so deep and mesmerizing, but filled with absolute coldness.

"I do not care if you see me as a princess or a peasant, but you do not treat me like this." I was shaking with rage.

"What are you going to do about it?" He asked, I felt the need to tackle him and make him feel the such pain that was equal to the amount of anger I was feeling. No, I had to remain gracious, and take down my enemies like a real princess. I took a deep breath, going over to where the paper towels and ripping a piece off. I wiped up the floor and Ikuto just watched, even when I finished and started washing my hands.

"Where are your guards anyway?" He changed the subject.

"They know of my nightly visits to the kitchen and do not disturb me when I'm here." I answered calmly and lowly.

"Why don't you just hit me like you want to?" He asked something else and I froze in my spot.

"Why masochist? Would you enjoy it if I did?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I mean, if you're into that." He shrugged and I shivered in disgust. I decided to ignore him from there and went back to my bedroom, making sure that my bedroom door was locked. There has to be a reason why he's treating me like this, some type of emotional issue. I could never see someone be that cruel to a complete stranger, I just don't think it's possible.

I won't worry about finding him out for now, I must plot the perfect revenge to get him back. I must show him that Princess Amu deserves to be treated like a queen, and that he is the scum on the bottom of her shoe.

* * *

 **FINALS ARE OVER HIP HIP HOORAY!**


	6. Chapter 4 : Best Served Cold

**Amu**

"Oh goodness, tell me you are not joking Mio." I looked at her reflection in the mirror as she tightened my corset. I winced, biting down on my bottom lip. I didn't know why I needed to wear them, I was sure that I had a nice figure, but it's not like "nice" was good enough for the king and queen.

"They are family friends and are very upset that they couldn't make the ball, so they will come for dinner tonight." Mio explained and I squealed in excitement, turning around to face her.

"Rima is coming, correct?" I asked and she nodded, another squeal left my lips as I scurried to my walk-in closet. I ran to the back where I found an old shoe box, picking it up and then falling onto my bed, opening it. There were random bits of clothing or toys that linked to old memories that I had with Rima when we were younger.

"Amu, we must get you ready for your day." Mio insisted, but I saw a smile on her face when she saw the box.

"I know, I know. Just a moment." I picked up ripped piece of a sheer fabric that I remembered was once a part of a cardigan that I wore on our first play date. I wasn't allowed to keep old clothing since it just wasted space, but Mio allowed me to keep this box and she was the only one who knew about it.

Other than my younger sister and Mio, Rima was one of the few people that I trusted with everything. We were both in the same situation, having to get married to a stranger for the sake of our country. Whenever Mio could sneak me a cell phone, I would always call her and talk to her as much as I could before Mio told me my time was over. To hear that I can finally see her after so long made my heart race with excitement.

"When is she planned to arrive? How long is she staying?" I was practically jumping.

"You cannot see her until dinner, and she will be staying for a week." I groaned to myself, I wanted to see her before. To get here from Aldford is a far journey, so I didn't question the fact that she was staying for a week. Rima's country was known for its large forests, which are perfect for supplies of lumber and varieties of animal meat. It was one of the larger countries, the two of our countries having a good bond because of trade.

"Dinner is in hours Mio, can you not sneak me a visit?" I complained, knowing I was being selfish.

"Princess Rima is arriving two hours before dinner, and you both have things to attend to. You have lessons in thirty minutes, then a date with Prince Tadase, and a quick meeting with your parents before dinner."

"Meeting? What is there to discuss?" The only times I ever had meetings with my parents was for important matters, so this part of my schedule scared me.

"I am not sure, they said it was private." Her eyes avoided mine, but I decided to ignore that for now.

"And a date with Tadase, finally, a prince with some class." I mumbled to myself, Mio raised a brow at this and I simply shook my head.

Once I was dressed, I quickly made my way to my classroom for lessons. I despised being late, so I decided to take a shortcut through the courtyard. I dashed through the grass but came to a quick halt when I saw a flash of blue by the stone wall. I turned my head to see Ikuto climbing it, making his way up the top.

"Are you escaping or something?" I crossed my arms over my chest, he looked down at me and smirked.

"You look cute without milk all over your chest." Blood rushed to my cheeks but I ignored it. "But to answer your question, I am. I'm sick of staying inside for so long."

"Then spend time in the garden." I said and he laughed at me.

"I don't think you'll ever understand. Unless, you want to come with me." He offered and my eyes widened. It was tempting, to see what was outside the castle walls for once, to have a taste of actual freedom.

"I'm not a troublemaker like you." I declined and he rolled his eyes.

"Tell me if you ever want to have fun, prissy." Before I could respond, he leaped to the other side and I pouted. It was hard to ignore his attitude and the way he seemed to do whatever he felt like. It seemed like an ideal lifestyle,

for some people, that is.

* * *

"Dragran is so beautiful during the summer, it's an honor being here by your side." Tadase took in a deep breath and let it out, his face content with the smell of newly blossomed flowers and freshly cut grass.

"I can say the same about being with you, I'm glad we could have this date so soon." I played with the lace bordering my thigh-high socks instead of looking at him, feeling rather nervous. Teenage boys weren't my forte, especially since I've never talked to one before the arrival of the two princes. Tadase chose the courtyard for our date, so we spent our time laying on a blanket out in the grass. It was disturbingly similar to the date I had with Ikuto, but I didn't question his choices of having it here.

"Princess Amu, is there any chance you're a little shy?" He chuckled and I looked at him, wide-eyed. "Don't worry, I'm rather bashful myself." He scratched the back of his head.

"I apologize, I'm not used to this." I shrugged.

"Neither am I, at least we can learn together." He smiled warmly at me, making me grin as well.

"I'm glad you came here, it's nice to have someone so kind by my side."

"Of course, I understand how stressful this can be for you. I also understand everyone pressuring you to choose the prince of Hinyst so that the two most powerful countries can become one. I am not going to add more weight on your shoulders, I want you to be happy these couple of months that we have together." He grabbed my hand and kissed the top of it, his words striking my heart deeply.

"Thank you Tadase, I too-"

"Princess Amu, it is time for your meeting." A guard approached us. Tadase let go of my hand, the warm feeling slowly disappearing.

"Ah yes, I nearly forgot." I stood up, brushing off my lace skirt. "It's been a pleasure." I curtsied and he quickly got up, bowing his head.

"The pleasure is all mine." I walked away from him, walking into the castle and walking through the halls. I looked at my wristwatch, seeing that I had fifteen minutes until the meeting would officially start. My curious mind wondered where Rima could be, so I decided to check the hall that was filled with empty bedrooms. Ikuto and Tadase were staying there, so perhaps she could be there too.

I checked all the doors to see if a sign was put up with her name on it, but found no luck in finding it. Perhaps she hasn't arrived yet? The plane ride could have been delayed, I hope she'll be here in time for dinner at least.

I heard a door open behind me but before I could turn around, a hand was put on my mouth and another on my waist, pulling me into the room. I kicked and screamed but I was overpowered, fearing controlling my flailing limbs as I attempted an escape. I was roughly thrown on to the bed, and the heir of Hinyst climbed on top of me.

"Those self-defense classes that you took did not help you there." He stared down at me and I glared at him.

"How did you even know that I took classes?"

"Every member of royalty does for moments like these, so what are you going to do now?" His hand was on my thigh, making me flinch in response. It began to climb up slowly and my breath hitched in the back of my throat.

"Ikuto..." I snarled.

"Call for help? Or should we wait until everyone can hear you screaming my name?" His eyes were mesmerizing, as was his touch. Fingers played with my thigh-high socks, slowly pulling them down. He suddenly ducked down and his soft lips touched my thigh, my body heated up and I gulped.

"Don't, not now." The butterfly kisses being scattered on my thigh made me feeling a pressure I've never felt before. I wanted him to continue, but my mind knew I needed him off of me.

"Not now? Should I meet you in your room after dinner?" Ikuto came back up and leaned into my ear. "You could be my dessert." His whisper made me feel the need to hold back a moan.

"Princess Amu! You are needed in the conference hall!" I heard and my knee shot up, Ikuto groaned and fell over to my side, granting me my freedom. I rolled my sock up and adjusted my clothes and hair. I knew hitting a boy _there_ was the ultimate punishment, it's one of the things I learned in self-defense class.

"I think revenge is my favorite type of dessert, best served cold." I looked at him and he was staring at me, anger obvious in his eyes. "I know what you think when you look at me, a helpless little princess who just takes everything that is coming to her. I've allowed you to play your games, but now, don't expect me to be so submissive." I walked out and slammed the door shut.

My knees went weak, my back resting against the wall beside his door for support. My heart was pounding, the image of him looking up at me while kissing my thighs sewed into the back of my eye lids. If he is trying to get into my head, it was working. What I said in there was completely unplanned, as if another person was speaking for me. I suppose it doesn't matter, because I won't be tolerating the way he treats me any longer.

So I continued to the conference room, with the pressure that Ikuto built up slowly dying down.


	7. Chapter 5 : Princess of Aldford

The conference room was full once I was there, so I sat in my assigned seat beside Ami and sat up straight. My eyes looked around the large table and I spotted the archduke, a buff man with terrifying and dark eyes named Ichiro. He used to talk with me when I saw younger, sometimes he would even walk around the castle with me when I couldn't sleep.

Now he and I didn't talk, I would see him at public events and if I was lucky, strolling in the courtyard. I wish I knew why we suddenly grew apart, perhaps we just never had time anymore.

"Now that everyone is here, this meeting can commence." Ichiro stood up, his deep voice making everyone shut theirs mouths. "We have reason to suspect a terrorist group is on the rise here in Dragran." This caused some gasps and quick whispers.

"Nonsense! These rumors are becoming outrageous." One of the men shouted.

"There has been tags spray-painted on random buildings throughout the kingdom." Ichiro glared at the male and I gulped. "Their tag is described as a phoenix surrounded by flames. There haven't been any serious offenses, but this is something that should be brought to our attention."

"Do we know their goal yet?" I asked, Ichiro looked at me for a quick second before staring straight ahead.

"No theories should be stated until we find more proof. This meeting is over." He called out and the chatter started again. The fact that Ichiro and my parents were worried about tags scattered over the kingdom made me wonder what else could have happened, they knew that it could just be a prank like other times we had concerns about a group rising. What could they be keeping from the meeting?

"An actual terrorist group." Ami mumbled.

"It's probably some teenagers playing pranks, we've had these meetings before." I attempted to put her worries to rest.

"I know, but I have a bad feeling about this one." She sighed. As much as I was afraid to admit it, I felt exactly what she felt.

* * *

"You look splendid." Mio admired my dress, holding my hand up and spinning me to see the full view. "Those suitors are lucky that you're even considering them."

"Tadase is very kind to me, I think he will be my husband." I admitted and Mio blinked twice at me.

"What about the other prince?" She asked and I let out a deep breath.

"I understand that combining forces with Hinyst will bring more power for us, but I want to marry for something more than that." I walked towards my window, looking down and seeing guests walking into the castle. "I want love, Mio. I know that it is possible, the stories I have read can be reality!"

"You're so optimistic Amu, hold on to that." She smiled at me and I nodded. "Let's get you to the dining hall, everyone's waiting for the main guest." She locked arms with me and we walked out together.

We reached the large double doors, two guards opened them and I walked in, Mio behind me now. People stood up and applauded at my entrance, shortly sitting down after, and I went to go find my seat. I saw my name tag on the table and looked at the person sitting next to me, the beautiful caligraphy spelling out the name of the person I hated the most.

"What a pleasure." I heard and looked up, seeing a blue-haired monster looking down at me. The image of him on top of me crossed my mind and I looked away from him, feeling embarrassed and ashamed that I gave into him.

"The pleasure is all yours." I sat down and he followed, a curt chuckle left his lips.

"Ouch, what a sharp tone." He pretended to be hurt and I attempted to ignore him. "I never took you as someone who would physically assault someone." He said, talking about what happened before the meeting.

"I would say I never took you as someone to sexually assault someone, but that would be a lie." I fought back and he shook his head.

"Are you just made that I didn't finish you off?" He asked and blood rushed to my face.

"Oh goodness, shut up." I muttered. Ikuto was interrupted when the large doors opened, revealing the king and queen of Aldford. I gasped when I saw Rima emerge from behind them, her hair tied into a large bun on top of her head, two long strands framing her face. Large, honey eyes batted as she scanned the room subtlety, suddenly meeting mine. A large grin met her lips and I mimicked her, being able to see her after so long making my heart nearly burst from happiness.

I calmly stood up and sleeked down my tight dress, walking over to the royal family. I curtseyed and greeted the mother and father first, they greeted me politely and walked away to talk to other people. Rima and I took a few moments, just looking over each other.

"Princess of Amu of Dragran." She bowed jokingly and I giggled.

"Princess Rima of Aldford." I matched her motions and when we both straightened out, we hugged each other tightly.

"It's been so long, you've grown." She commented. "Don't say anything about my height, I know." She quickly stopped me from talking and I let out a laugh.

"You're beautiful Rima, and you have grown from a six-year-old running around without her shoes on."

"Yes, now I'm an eighteen-year-old who runs without her shoes on." She said and I nodded. "Are you crying?" She asked and I quickly brought my hand up, wiping away a stray tear.

"I'm so glad." I sobbed out and she shook her head at me.

"You were always so sensitive." She put her hands on my shoulders. "Loosen up, stop with these happy tears."

"Yes, of course. This is an official ceremony, no room for tears." I nodded.

* * *

I walked down the hall quickly, Rima and I's joyous reunion was cut short when the announcement for food was made and we had to sit down. Ikuto didn't bug me while eating, perhaps his graceful side is coming into the light. I wished that he could truly act like a prince from the fairy tales that I would read as a child. If I was able to fall in love with him, then my parents would be pleased and the two countries could finally unite.

"Hey princess." I heard and turned around, seeing Ikuto.

"You're in the other hall, what are you even doing here? Curfew is in a few minutes." I informed him and he shrugged.

"Perhaps I'm looking for your cute little friend, I always love a new toy." He walked past me, brushing against my shoulder and my eyes widened. Without thinking, my hand grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Don't touch her." I growled, staring him straight in the eyes.

"Who are you to tell me what to do? I'm not one of your servants that are forced to abide to your commands."

"Take advantage of me." I said and he looked at me, completely stunned and confused. "Do what you want to me but don't you dare lay a finger on her."

"Listen princess,-"

"I'm not listening anymore, either you're taking my offer or leaving." I commanded and he just stared at me, as if for once, he was unsure of what to do.

"Whatever." He sucked his teeth, walking to where he came from. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

I walked to my room and opened the door, seeing Rima laying on the bed. I quickly shut the door and ran to her, jumping on the bed and tackling her.

"How are you even here? You have to be in your room or else you'll get in trouble! How did you know which room I was in? Unless you have fantastic memory,-"

"Amu, you need to calm down. I found Mio and talked to her, and I also convinced her to allow me to sleep in this room." She told me and I couldn't control the smile growing on my face.

"It has been so long, how have you been?" I asked and she shrugged.

"Stupid princess duties and such, but you're the one with more drama on your hands I see." Her inquisitive eyes begged for answers.

"Not much, really." I lied and she scoffed.

"Please, two gorgeous men in your castle and there's nothing going on?" She raised a brow and I rubbed my arm with my other hand. "Plus, you always look away from me when you lie."

"Fine. The heir of Hinyst is beyond disrespectful, he is just plain awful." I crossed my arms over my chest and she looked at me as if she was expecting more. "What?"

"You're holding back, I can tell." She smirked at me. "Something happened between you two, something steamy."

"You could not be more wrong." I lied once again, the memory of lips on skin filling my memory.

"Considering the fact that I haven't seen you in years, it's impressive that I can still tell when you're lying." She rested her head in her hand and I let out a deep breath.

"There was a brief period of weakness, simply because he overpowered me." I told her and she squealed in excitement.

"The little princess gets some action after eighteen years of solitude, must be nice." She hummed.

"It is all but nice, he has no manners."

"But Amu, your entire life is surrounded by manners and rules, isn't it a little nice to meet someone who just does what they want?" She asked and I was ready to respond, but then I suddenly did not know how to answer that.

"If his attitude changed." I sucked my teeth and she laughed.

"Don't need a good attitude if you're good with your hands." She wiggled her fingers at me and I felt my face turn beet red, finding the nearest pillow on my bed and throwing it at her.


	8. Chapter 6 : Insomnia

Once Rima fell asleep, I could not find enough exhaustion to shut my stinging eyes, despite the fact that I was beyond tired. I looked at her sleeping body, resembling a porcelain doll. I realized that sitting in bed will not help me get to bed, so I walked out and shut the door quietly behind me.

My feet made quiet patting sounds against the floor as I jogged to the kitchen, preparing myself some milk. It never worked, and it never will, but now I will always find comfort in a glass of milk. In the back of my mind, I feared that Ikuto would come out and harass me again, but I couldn't let him bother me.

Once I had what I came for, I drank it while roaming the halls, finding nothing new in the castle I knew better than the back of my hand. If it wasn't for these nights, I would get lost myself. I hummed a song that echoed softly off the walls, creating almost an eerie atmosphere. The lack of servants and guards running around made the castle seem almost abandoned, but there was something comforting about that.

I walked out into the courtyard, walking around and looking at the stars. My eyes landed on Ichiro and Ikuto, who were both talking beside the wall protecting us from the world outside the castle. Did he get caught by Ichiro for sneaking out, or were they talking about something else? I tried to listen in but I could not hear from the distance between us.

Sapphire eyes caught mine staring and they widened, quickly returning to normal. Ikuto placed a hand on the man's shoulder before walking away, walking towards me specifically. I panicked, hoping that he didn't know I was eavesdropping.

"Out of bed again?" He asked, but I was focused on Ichiro, who was staring at me.

"What?" I looked back up at him and narrowed his eyes at me, then at my glass of milk.

"Warm milk again?" He snorted.

"Yes, I can not fall asleep again." I told him and his condescending expression went away.

"Do you have insomnia?" He asked and I raised a brow.

"There is no way, my doctor said there is nothing wrong with me. My mother read my medical report to me, I am fine." My fingernails tapped on the glass cup, wondering if what he said could be true.

"Insomnia is not uncommon, you don't have to get all nervous." He pointed out and I shook my head.

"No, I am not nervous, I am completely fine." I argued and he raised his brow.

"Alright, princess. Sleep tight." He joked and I glared at him as he walked away. I turned back around and saw Ichiro beginning to make his way back into the castle. I felt the sudden urge to talk to him, to see why we didn't talk anymore.

"Ichiro!" I shouted and he looked at me with surprised eyes.

"Princess Amu, should you not be in bed?" He asked once I was in front of him.

"You know I cannot sleep sometimes." I reminded him.

"Straying from the bed will not help with that, try to get some rest." He walked past me and I pursed my lips.

"You know that will not do much, no matter how hard I try." I said and he stopped, I saw his body shift uncomfortably as he looked over his shoulder.

"I have been very busy Amu, I'm sorry." His words struck a chord in my heart, making me wonder why he would not spare me a single word. Why could I not have a regular friendship with someone, perhaps he just didn't want to be around me anymore.

Even though I tried to be as understanding as possible, keeping every possible situation in mind, I could not help but feel frustrated at the fact that he wouldn't speak to me. Perhaps he was not allowed to anymore? But who would deny him the right to speak to me, and for what reason? My head could not wrap around it, so I chose to ignore it for now. As much as I despised it, I could not do much about it.

My feet made it all the way back to my room, where Rima was still fast asleep. My steps were light as I got into the bed beside her, quickly cuddling against her in case she woke up so I could fake my slumber. I would rather not worry Rima about my night owl tendencies, it would be a waste of stress since not much can be done.

Insomnia. Insomnia. Insomnia.

It was not a foreign term, and I have considered it before. I have even mentioned it to my mother, but she quickly denied it. A princess did not have any flaws, a princess did not show weakness. She does not stress, which is one of the causes of insomnia. I handle all of my problems with grace, and take on the day with my head up with my heart and mind unbothered.

Right?

* * *

I was awoken when I felt something shaking me, I looked up to see Rima smiling down at me. Her eyes were coated in drowsiness, strands of hair flying in various directions, and even a bit of dried saliva in the corner of her lip.

"We have a free day." She whispered and I stretched my arms out above my head before responding.

"What are you mumbling about?" I rubbed my eye with my hand and she giggled.

"Mio managed to score us a day off from our studies and royal duties, hopefully we can have tomorrow off too!" She cheered and I groaned, my body begging for more sleep.

"Can I sleep in then?" I murmured, covering my head with the pillow.

"It is one in the afternoon already, I got up at eight to ask Mio to handle it for us and she did, so I went back to sleep. Now I'm awake again, so c'mon!" She jumped up and down on the bed, I sent her a death glare and she froze.

"Ouch, the daggers from your eyes spare no mercy for someone as puny as me!" She acted dramatically, pretending to be pierced in the heart. "Tell my family, I loved them." She took a deep breath, falling forward and on top of me.

"You are far too energetic for me." A laugh managed to escape my lips and I finally sat up, a loud yawn following.

"So, what shall we do on this lovely day in Dragran?" She hopped off the bed and ran to the window, unleashing the blinding sunlight by pulling the curtains apart. I nearly hissed at the pain it caused to my stinging eyes, as if I was a creature of the night.

"There's not much we can do, we're not allowed to leave the perimeters." I reminded her and she hung her head in defeat.

"How about we put on socks and slide down the hallways like we used to?" She offered and I shook my head with a light smile.

"As much as I would love to bathe in nostalgia, I don't think I would be able to do that all day." She hummed at my response, and then a wicked smirk grew on her face.

"Then how about something that is entertaining for a pair of young adults? Since there is a pair of incredibly cute boys waltzing around the castle with eyes on you." She wiggled her eyebrows at me and I scoffed.

"Rima, my first kiss has not even left my lips, what could I even do with them?" I asked and she looked at me with wide eyes, her bottom jaw slightly dropping.

"Your first kiss? Amu, I'm surprised you're still a virgin!" She exclaimed and I covered her loud mouth with my hand, all of the blood in my body rushing to my face and neck.

"Where could I have even lost it?" I was baffled by her reaction, was it really that strange?

"Your servants are pretty cute, you really haven't flirted with them?"

"No! Dear goodness, never! I am not going to sleep with someone I am not romantically involved in." I told her and she stared at me blankly, before bursting out in laughter.

"Honey, you're prude! That's adorable, I bet Ikuto will eat that up." She said and then covered her mouth with her fingers. "That was an unexpected sexual innuendo, I am not sure if you would get it though."

"Get what?" I felt beyond embarrassed and clueless.

"Exactly." She pranced over to my closet, hands running over the fabrics of many colors to see what she could find. "What you wore to the dinner was sexy, we need to find something like that."

"I never agreed to do anything." I panicked, wondering what she had in store.

"Amu, having control over a man is empowering. We have to listen to them talk about how they're the superior gender, so why not have some power over them?" She took out a burgundy crop top and gestured at it. "You'll drive them absolutely mad."

"I really do not think I can do this." I rubbed my arm awkwardly.

"Amu, your body looks like it was sculpted professionally and you have a face that makes everyone turn green with envy. You should flaunt it and have some fun." She threw the shirt at me and walked to my drawers, looking for something to match.

"I am still unsure of this." I bit down on my bottom lip.

"There it is! That innocence that make people think the unthinkable! Besides, wouldn't it be so satisfying to get back at Ikuto?" She mentioned and I had a sudden interest in the topic.

"Revenge?"

"There you go, my darling Amu will leave him begging for more." She threw a skirt at me. "Get dressed."

* * *

Adjusting the shirt to try to make it cover my chest a little more was impossible, and the pencil skirt that Rima dug up feels like it was made for a toddler. The heels she forced on me made me taller, and she said that would add to my confidence. It is not my first time in shoes like these, but I felt like a newborn deer wandering in an unknown world. My nervousness was building a knot in my stomach and a pounding in my head that I could not get rid of.

Rima was around the corner, stalking me to make sure I did not run away. Ikuto was lounging in the foyer with his feet up, an interest in a book I have not heard of. So I took a deep breath, calming myself down as I approached him.

Be in charge, show him who is actually the queen of this castle.

Once I was in front of him, he looked up at me and simply smirked. His eyes dropped down to my chest and I felt exposed, but I kept my hands on my hips in my powerful stance.

"Well, I see you're a gift for me just waiting to be unwrapped." Ikuto shut the book and looked up at me, seeming pleased with my attire.

"Not for you, for Tadase." I told him.

"Oh really? Two virgins together, how cute." He spat.

"You might as well tell your family that any more time you spend here will be wasted, because we are not going to go far." I stated in a matter-of-factly tone.

"Why don't we talk about it?" He patted the spot beside him and I eyed him, then it, warily. Against my better judgement, I sat down and kept my knees together tightly. "So, Tadase has everything you're asking for?"

"Yes, he is kind and has the mindset of a leader." I explained and he laughed.

"That is all you ask for? You have low standards, princess."

"What do you mean?" I asked, slightly offended.

"Someone who knows how your body works, someone who's words can get you as wet as their touch can." He whispered, his hand attempting innocently climb up my thigh. Despite the fact that I scooted away from him, I could not help but feel hypnotized by his words.

"I mean, I have not gotten to know him like that yet." I tucked hair behind my ear.

"Then let's get to know each other, baby girl." He cooed in my ear, hot breath creating a tight knot in my core. If that was not enough to get me going, then he bit down on it softly, making me yelp but he quickly covered my mouth. "Silently, don't want the guards hearing."

"We cannot do this here, we're in the foyer, anyone could catch us." I informed him.

"Doesn't it make your heart pound? The fact that anyone could walk in on us? They could see your flushed face while my lips explore every inch of you, especially in between your legs." I could feel his lips moving against my neck.

I think I finally understood Rima's joke.

"Your body responds so well to mine, you are sexy to not be touch, Amu." His hand made its way up my skirt, my throat allowing a noise to escape and I quickly covered my mouth.

"Oh goodness! Look at the time! It is the time...to leave! Princess duties and such." Rima ran in and grabbed my hand, pulling me away from him and pushing my back to my room. My head was foggy, I could not believe what just happened _._ I looked back at Ikuto, seeing an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"I feel like I just watched an adult video." She groaned, shutting the bedroom door and pressing her back against it.

"Rima."

"Yes?"

"Your joke was pretty funny."

* * *

 **I apologize in advance for any grammatical/spelling errors.**


	9. Chapter 7 : The Stray

"It's such a shame you are a virgin, you could have some serious fun with him." Rima told me while I paced my bedroom. The euphoric sensation Ikuto gave me had passed, leaving me with shame and embarrassment.

"I do not wish to do anything with him, virgin or not. I will not give him the pleasure of seeing me so vulnerable." I told her and she scoffed.

"But why not, you don't need to like someone to have sex with them." She said and I cringed at the word.

"I do not plan on giving him the satisfaction of experiencing my body while acting like he does not know what morals are!" I exclaimed, breathing heavily. The exhaustion of sleepless nights was finally striking me, but I had to shake my head and ignore it.

"Are you alright? You look sick." Rima asked, concern trailing in her tone.

"Yes I am fine, just bothered." I let out a heavy sigh, the stress of these past events have been effecting me more than I thought. Sleeping was an issue, but it has never reached this high of a streak. A princess kept her chin up and dealt with her problems with grace, so why was it affecting my head so badly?

"You look like you need to rest, you have the evening to yourself." Rima climbed off of my bed and grabbed my arms, pulling me into it. I had already taken off the attire I was wearing previously and slipped into regular wear. "Sleep for an hour or two, if you don't wake up I'll come get you." She pushed a pink lock behind my ear, leaving the room.

I stood up to look out of my window, my arms being used to hug myself. I was not used to such a change of pace, with so many expectations thrown at me that I was not yet used to having. That's when I saw Ikuto walking in the grass, looking like he was heading for the wall. I stared at the collection of bricks separating me from the outside world. He gets to do what he wants as he sees fit, I bet even back home he roamed freely. How come he gets to travel like a stray cat, exploring every inch of area he wanted.

 _Because he has guts_ , my subconscious sneered.

That's right, he's not necessarily allowed to do as he pleased, he just did. Perhaps if I went with him just once, and just saw the country I was destined to rule. No, to sneak out for that reason would be selfish, and my mother would rightfully punish that. I turned my vision away from the sight of him leaving, biting my lip as I wanted to rid the desire to follow him.

But sometimes, you have to be selfish.

* * *

"Ikuto!" I shouted, the boy was nearly over the wall by the time I reached him and I'm glad I wasn't a moment later.

"Princess of Dragran, I heard you were taking a royal nap and were not to be disturbed." He looked down at me, somewhat amused with the sight of me calling to him.

"Take me out." I demanded.

"Our last date didn't go that well, are you sure?" He laughed.

"Not like that, take me out to see my country. I want to meet with my future citizens, what beauties my land holds." I told him and his eyes widened at my words. He shook away the surprise and just stared at me for a moment.

"The prince of Hinyst sneaking out is to be expected, but if they see that you've gone missing…" He became lost in his thoughts.

"They believe I am sleeping, they will not expect me for two hours. If I am to be caught, I will suffer the consequences. Let this be your payment for being so crude to me." I told him and he scoffed.

"For a royal runaway, you still have a false sense of entitlement." He smirked. "Climb up the bricks at the bottom and I'll pull you up the rest of the way."

I looked at the more weathered down and broken part of the wall, seeing chips large enough for me to stick my foot in. So I did as I was told, getting a good grip for my foot as well as my hand so I could start going up. The higher I got, the harder it became to find purchase so I could continue up the wall.

"Here." I heard and looked up, seeing the blue-haired boy reaching his hand out. I gave him my right hand and he pulled me up, my legs doing their best to try to walk up the wall so my weight wouldn't be as bad. At the top, I swung my leg over and used my upper arm strength to finally get me on top. I stood up and brushed off my pants, which were darker and tighter than I was used to.

"Wow." I sighed, it was strange looking out and not having something block your vision. There were fields but a town not too far, it looks like we could easily walk there. I could not help the smile growing on my face art the sight, this was what I was missing out on this entire time.

"What changed your snooty mindset?" He insulted me, but I was too happy to acknowledge it.

"You're a stray cat, prince." I told him.

"Gee, thanks." He rolled his eyes.

"You're dirty, unrefined, unapologetic and you probably have a few ticks." I continued, "yet as a stray: you're independent, nimble, and free. I guess in a way, the princess envies the stray."

I finally looked at him after my explanation, and I saw him staring at me with an unreadable expression. His eyes were a journey I had the displeasure of going on. But while he was here, he will act as my guide to access the things I've secretly yearned for.

"Since those are probably as good as your compliments get, I'll take them." Despite his words, he grabbed my wrist and brought me dangerously close, our noses brushing against each other. "But as of right now, you're the only tick in my life."

My face went a pure red, it could match the color of a ruby. The proximity brought my heart rate up, and I had to pull away before he pulled any other trick.

"Lead the way." I kept my voice steady, not letting him know that his actions had an effect on me.


	10. Chapter 8 : Denial

I placed my hood over my head as we entered the town, not wanting to be recognized. A part of me wanted to talk to my future people as their future queen, but another part wanted me to have genuine interactions with them first. Ikuto followed suit, his eyes seeming darker under the shade of his hood.

"What do you do when you come here?" I asked.

"Eat, talk, drink." He explained vaguely, he seemed genuinely uninterested in a conversation so I took the time to look around. It was more of a run down city, the streets were littered and I could see homeless people sleeping on the benches. To say I was shocked was an understatement, how could a town within two miles of the castle be doing so poorly?

Two kids were running around and playing, their clothes visibly dirty as well as their faces. Yet, they had these huge smiles plastered on their faces and the sweetest giggles coming out of them. I smiled gently as I saw them play what I thought was tag, something Rima and I used to play during our free time.

"Miss, you're it!" While I had spaced out, the little boy had touched my thigh. I laughed as he started to run, chasing after the little girl he was playing with. With longer legs I got her with no problem, grabbing her under her arms and lifting her up. She was breathless from laughter and sprinting, so she didn't mind me picking her up. I bounced her on my hip, realizing she could be no older than six. Her blonde hair was tied into two braids, her eyes shimmering with a child-like innocence.

"You're rather pretty, missy! You could be the princess!" She complimented me, not realizing who was holding her.

"I think you are far more fit to be one." I told her, a blush building on her face. I looked at Ikuto, who was just observing with his hands shoved in his pants pocket.

"If you were a princess, you could probably do better than the current king and queen!" Her friend exclaimed, she giggled while I just went wide-eyed.

"What do you mean?" I looked at the boy whose height only went to my waist.

"Look around miss, mommy and daddy don't talk about what's wrong but anyone can tell." He stuck his arms out to gesture at the entire town.

"Kids have a sixth sense for this kind of thing, but you don't have to be a genius to see something is wrong." Ikuto finally spoke up, approaching us.

"But there is a big bird on fire that will save us, and we'll be fine!" The girl said and I rose a brow.

"Big bird?" I asked, the little boy tugged on my jacket. He started walking towards an alley and I followed after him. Once we reached it, I put the little girl down to examine the graffiti tag. There it was, the phoenix engulfed by treacherous flames. This was the rebel group they mentioned in the meeting, but there was something on the bottom that they hadn't mentioned.

 _To the royal family, this marks a rebirth._

"A rebirth?" I was shocked, not able to tell if this was a serious threat or a stunt some kids pulled.

"Dragran used to be the favorited country with the most loved family, but these have been popping up." Ikuto explained, my eyes were still wide.

"Is it just this town?" I asked, my knees feeling weaker by the second.

"Not sure, I haven't ventured further than this." He told me, and I could tell he was not lying.

"It can't be true. My parents have worked hard to do the best for this country, one town failing is nothing." I spat. I knew better, this was the act of the terrorist group. If Ichiro was correct, than they have these tags in neighboring towns and probably spread along the coast as well.

"It's easy to say your parents have been working hard from where you stand, but look at your people." Ikuto pointed out and I shook my head.

"Are you saying your country doesn't have poorer areas?" I challenged him.

"The longer you deny, the harder it will hit when you realize what the truth is." He glared at me.

"The truth here is that you're disrespecting my family. You can what you'd like to me but continue with this, and I promise you will regret it." I snarled, not noticing I was getting closer to his face for an intimidation factor. But he just smirked once again.

"You have a passionate fire in you princess, if only you'd put it to good use." He commented.

"Princess?" The two children looked at us, them being there had completely slipped our minds.

* * *

Today's events made it hard for me to pay attention at family dinner, which was an issue because my parents usually tried to fit in proper etiquette and political lessons over a glass of wine. The tag was embedded in my mind now, no terrorist group acted without reason. There must be something my family or this kingdom has done to wrong this entire group, but what was it?

"No elbows on the able, Amu." My mother scolded me and I took them off, apologizing silently.

"Any news on the group who has been painting the phoenix all over the kingdom?" I brought up, seeing I stuck a chord in my father when his eye twitched.

"That is none of your concern, Amu." He wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"It will be as this country's future queen, and I do not appreciate being left in the dark about such matters." I fought back.

"Where do you think you are coming from? Do you think that your father and I cannot resolve an issue before your ceremony? Put more faith in your parents Amu, you're acting like you do not know any better." My mother snapped and my head went down, feeling guilty for even mentioning it. They were right, they would be able to handle this. They are the trusted king and queen, and my faithful parents.

Dinner was over and I walked down the hall, letting out a heavy sigh. I was acting selfishly, first leaving the castle walls and now questioning my parents. Ikuto was tainting my mind with these thoughts that my parents made decisions without their people in their best interest. I had to ignore his words, what would an outsider to this country know?

"Rather defensive for parents." I heard and saw him standing there, lurking in the shadows.

"Your words are toxic prince, you doubt this family and I will not listen to you any longer." I attempted to walk past him but he stood right in front of me.

"How did it feel? Talking back to your parents, even if it was for only five seconds." He mocked me and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Eavesdropping? Is there a line that you won't cross?"

"Lines are meant to be crossed, and you crossed one tonight. Face it Amu, a part of you is dying to rebel. You're sick of the goofy dresses and ceremonies, and you don't want to be wed in a couple of months." I felt a bubbling frustration in me.

"Why are you so hell bent on doing this?" I snapped.

"I see the strings above you, they're planning every move and you're following along like a puppet." He continued and I couldn't stand it anymore. I raised my hand and slapped him across the cheek. It was all in one fluid motion that lasted a second, but it felt like a year.

"No more, as prince of Hinyst you will stay out of Dragran affairs. I will remain loyal to my family, and I will soon be taking over as queen. I will prove that I care for my people and make decisions that reflect that, and that rebel group will eat their words and bow before me when I take the throne." My speech left me breathless, my dominating choice of words left him with an open mouth and wide eyes. I could not believe I spoke in such a tone, but I meant every word that I said.

"I hate you." He breathed out, but before I could reply, his lips crashed against mine. There was such a passion in the way his lips glided against mine, his hands holding my face. I could not help it, I kissed him back with the same amount of desperation. This boy that has been taunting me and mocking me made me felt things I had never imagined before. Whether it was that fire in my stomach whenever we argued, or the tingling sensation that travelled deliciously up my spine, it was always new with him.

His hands moved down to my waist, pulling me forward as he found the closest door and opened it. Without detaching his lips from mine, we entered the room and he shut the door again. Slamming me against the wall, he left my lips and trailed feverish kisses down my jaw and neck. He got lower and lower until the fabric of my dress got in the way. Sliding the straps of my shoulders, he pulled the dress low enough to where my cleavage popped out.

Instinctively, my hands quickly went up to cover them but he grabbed my wrists to stop me from hiding them. He kisses one of my breasts, biting down and sucking on the sensitive skin and I had to stop a noise that was building in the back of my neck. He teased me by kissing around my nipple, but let his mouth attach on it soon after. Delicately sucking and licking the hardened bud, I threw my head back and pushed my chest closer to him.

"Iku-Ikuto." I breathed heavily, feeling a wet warmth growing between my legs. He used his hands to reach behind me, I could feel his nails scratching through the cloth of my dress but the dreaded thing dulled the feeling. I felt his smirk against my skin, his nails attempting to dig further and I clutched his shoulders tightly.

"Are you begging, princess?" He questioned in a low tone.

"I have…I have never done something like this before." I let out betweens gasps for air.

"Do you want to stop?" He asked, I felt slightly embarrassed but I nodded. I thought he would get upset, but he just stood up and helped me readjust the top of my dress. Once I looked presentable enough, he grabbed my chin and went for one last kiss. He ended it by biting my lip and tugging on it, earning a moan from me.

"Wait five minutes until leaving after me, wouldn't want a patrolling guard to get the wrong idea." He shot me a crooked grin.

"It wouldn't be wrong." I commented.

"Goodnight, princess." He said before closing the door behind me.

 **Some dirty things I felt like writing.**


	11. Chapter 9 : The Bruise

It was as if the blood that had rushed to my face last night was stuck there, because when I woke up in the morning I still looked flushed. The memories were a distraction as well, embedded in my head with a strong refusal to leave. I stared at myself in the vanity mirror, pulling down my night gown to see a bruise had formed on my chest. I bit down on my bottom lip, I hoped Mio has planned something out that would not reveal it.

"Alright, due to the fact that I snuck you a free day yesterday, we have catching up to do! You have a scheduled workout with your personal trainer for two hours, a lesson directly after, and enough time for a quick shower before your lunch date with Ikuto." She began to list off the schedule and my eyes widened.

"What?" I asked.

"I would give you the rest of the schedule but you would probably forget it anyway, so let's just focus on-"

"Why am I going on a date with Ikuto? I thought I chose my dates."

"Your parents are pushing for Hinyst and Dragran to become one country, so they decided that you had to alternate between dates." Mio explained and I clenched my fists in frustration. I could feel a sweat building on my skin, not knowing how any interactions between us would go after our _exchange_.

Yet another thing that bothered me was why they were so desperate to join with Hinyst, we never pushed the subject before. Perhaps it was the first time where both heirs were eligible for marriage in years, but something about that still did not click. I would never admit it to him, but the prince was right. My parents have never acted so defensively before, no matter how tough the subject.

"Clothes off, put on your workout gear." Mio commanded and I just stared at her. I could not let her see the blotch of purple and blue, but telling her to leave while I was getting changed would draw suspicion.

"I am, um, I have a confession!" I exclaimed, Mio rested one hand on her hip and eyed me warily.

"If this is another plot to try and get another free day, I promise you're not getting one. Is Rima making you do this?" She questioned me and I quickly shook my head.

"I have a discoloration on my chest, from…Rima punching me too hard." I said the first thing that came to mind and Mio raised a brow. "We were play-fighting and she just…struck me."

"Let me see." She asked and I took off my nightgown obediently. Mio looked at it, her expression unreadable as she put together a sentence to say.

"Princess."

"Yes?"

"…That…That is most definitely a hickey." She started laughing, clutching her stomach and I felt confusion take over.

"What is a hickey?" I wanted answers but she just kept laughing at me, making my face grow redder.

"It's when someone bites or sucks on your skin too hard. It's a little love bite, now who gave it to you? I want to say Tadase because you two hit it off so well, but he does not seem like the type." She began to analyze and I wanted her to stop before she figured it out.

"Mio, it really does not matter who-"

"Ikuto? I've heard the scandalous rumors but I never thought you, out of all people, would fall victim to his charms." Mio smirked as she took in the information she came up with herself.

"It was not like that." I grumbled, she handed me the workout clothes and patted my head. "A sympathy pat?"

"Maybe."

* * *

I stretched myself out in the castle's personal gym while waiting for my trainer to show up. Mio had teased me mercilessly on the walk here, since I refused to tell her what led up to receiving the 'love bite.' I heard a door open and turned around, expecting to see my usual but instead I saw Ichiro walking towards me.

"I requested to train you today." He explained, but that was not enough for me.

"Why has the archduke requested to train me?" I looked at him skeptically.

"I saw you leave castle boundaries yesterday with Ikuto." He told me and I sighed.

"So you came to scold me, well you could have done that while I had a free minute." I put on my boxing gloves, facing the punching bag instead of him. A part of me was still upset with him for ignoring me for so long, he was not allowed to waltz in and out as he pleased.

"I came to see what you saw. It was your first time out of the castle, you must have had a first impression." He said as I adjusted the gloves to fit tightly around my wrist. I turned around and saw him wearing the punching mitts. "I did come here to train you, after all."

"The town just outside the walls is run down, and that rebel group has visited there." I told him, punching one of the mitts on his hand roughly.

"If my predictions are correct, then they are probably targeting weaker towns. People who seek a change are easily manipulated." He pointed out and I thought of those two little kids Ikuto and I had run into. I swung with my right and left hand, hitting with strength and precision.

"Is it a serious threat?" I asked him, continuing with rapid hits to practice stamina. He practiced my reflexes by moving his hands but I still managed to hit all of them.

"They have not made any moves to worry us, but they are very assertive with getting their presence known." This calmed my nerves, but that did not mean they were not planning anything. They want as many supporters before moving in offensively, which was rather smart. They were building a bigger team, to send a message to me and my family.

"What are my parents hiding from me, Ichiro? You are not only an archduke but also a trusted advisor, despite the lack of the official title." I stopped hitting and watched him carefully.

"It does not matter, it will not become an issue for you as queen because it will be resolved by then." He looked away from me.

"There's something to be resolved then? Of course I could figure as much, the Hinamori family has always proven themselves to show they deserve the title they were born into. I want to be as much of a help that I can be." I practically begged. Seeing the town in that condition and the argument with Ikuto made me realize that it could be more than just that area, with more children that begged for a savior from the hell that was happening beyond the walls.

"It does not matter Amu."

"To hell with that!" I raised my leg and swiftly did a spin kick into the mitt, using enough power and quickness to knock Ichiro off balance. I was breathing heavily now, with anger and sweat flowing down my jaw to my chin.

"You want to help? Let us test your abilities." He ripped off the mitts and my eyes widened, taking a step back. He held a fighting stance, hands up for defense. "It's easy to hit a still target, let's try a real one."

His gaze met mine and I felt the challenge in it, I took a deep breath. I tried to swing quickly to get him with surprise, but I was outmatched with a man that had twice the experience that I had. Grabbing my wrist, he quickly spun me around and pressed my arm against my back. I winced, sucking in breath as he kept him in a helpless position, I could feel his heaving chest.

"Don't offer help until you can help yourself, you will slow everyone down. You're the princess, everyone is inclined to protect you before themselves." He reminded me and let me go. I felt embarrassed, I rubbed my wrist in attempt to comfort it.

"Is that why you stopped talking to me? Is it too hard to be close to me? Because I am just a nuisance?" I spat at him, feeling tears pricking my eyes but I blinked them away.

"I never said that, Amu." He tried to place a comforting hand on my shoulder but I slapped him away.

"Don't pity me. I will work to my fullest ability to help this country, and Hinyst and Dragran will be able to rule separately and still prosper."

"Who says that is why we need Hinyst?" He looked down at me and I let out a curt chuckle.

"There's a reason behind the desperation to unite us, and you also just admitted to me that there is a reason that we need Hinyst." His eyes widened. "I may be weak, but I am no fool. If you will not tell me, then I will figure it out."

Ichiro took this time to just stare at me, as if he was meeting me for the first time. The only noise was the velcro ripping from the gloves as I took them off and threw them to the ground. I looked at him once more, his coal-like eyes frozen but his hands balled into fists to indicate that he was frustrated with something.

"I have to meet with someone now. I appreciate you coming in today, it made me realize some things." I spoke up, curtseying politely before walking out of the room. As soon as I left the room, I was in a rush to finish a quick mission before Ichiro informed Mio I left and she would be looking for me. But as I started walking down the hall, I saw a flash of platinum blond hair and cherry-like eyes.

"Princess Amu!" He smiled brightly, I did not want to be rude so I approached him.

"Prince Tadase, how is your stay so far?"

"Very nice, Dragran is very beautiful and the castle is exquisite." He complimented it and I nodded. "Listen, I heard about your forced date with Ikuto. I wanted to acknowledge your strength in your current situation, to put up with a man like him for the sake of your family and your country."

"Thank you Tadase." I smiled lightly at the boy, my eyes wandering from him to see if my target was nearby.

"But tell me honestly Amu, who is winning your heart currently?" He asked, now having my undivided attention. The question seemed simple enough, I would not want to marry Ikuto but I still could not give Tadase the answer he was looking for.

"It is a bit early to determine that Tadase." I told him with a meek grin, hoping I did not upset him.

"Understandable. Well I see you have other things to attend to, so I shall leave you." He walked past him, I looked over my shoulder just to watch him walk away. Was everyone in this castle acting a little odd suddenly, or was it just me?


	12. Chapter 10 : A Promise Pocketed

I moved quickly to find Ami, hoping she did not have as many duties today and would still be sleeping. Due to the fact that Ami still had time before she was sent off to rule another country, she spent most of her time much more leisurely since all of the attention was on me.

I opened her bedroom door to see the small girl engulfed in the large, white comforters. There was a bit of drool coming out of the corner of her mouth and her hair was everywhere. I smiled at the sight, feeling bad that I had to wake her but the sooner this was done, the better.

"Ami, wake up." I shook her lightly. The girl stirred in her sleep before she finally looked up at me, batting her lashes to try and take the sleep out of her eyes.

"Is it time for my studies? Where is Mio?" She asked for our attendant and I giggled.

"No, I came to deliver an important message." I told her and she grinned at me, thinking it was a joke. I bit my bottom lip, not wanting to involve a girl as young as fifteen in such unknown affairs.

"Let me hear this secret message that not even Mio could hear." She rested her head in her palm as she flipped on her side to look at me.

"I need you to watch out bits and pieces of information that do not seem to make sense." I told her and her brows furrowed.

"What do you mean?" She sat up, now taking the matter more seriously.

"There is something they are hiding from me, and you're the only one I can trust with this. They might slip up in front of you because they do not expect you to pay attention, but you must. Anything that seems strange or suspicious, please tell me quickly." I looked at her and she quickly nodded. I smiled lightly and tucked some of her hair behind her ear.

"Are we going to be safe, Amu?" There was a hint of fear in her large eyes, something I hoped I would never see in my little sister's eyes.

"I will make sure of it." I promised her, and that sentence seemed enough to let her body relax.

* * *

"This will be quick, and absolutely no touching." I warned the blue-haired prince as we walked the halls. I had changed into baby-blue babydoll dress and a pair of white flats.

"Does that apply to the both of us?" He teased and I turned to face him with a glare.

"You came onto me last time." I reminded him.

"It takes two to kiss, and it also takes a willing contender to receive such a delectable bruise." He used his finger to toy with the fabric on my chest, attempting to lower it so he could see what he saw as a prize. I did not have an argument, because I had taken part in it as much as he did. So I simply slapped his hand away with a hard stare before looking away again, continuing down the hall with him trailing me.

"So what are we to do, there was nothing scheduled in Mio's tablet." I raised a cautious brow at him.

"Why are you asking me?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

"As a gentlemen, you should be taking me somewhere." I informed him.

"Oh, I could take you somewhere." His comment could be taken in many different ways, but the smirk told me its true meaning. A week ago I would not have understood what he meant, but now I was a bashful fool before him.

"Stop it." I rubbed my arm, feeling rather awkward. I lost the strength to fight against him once my knees started going weak around him.

"Let's face it Amu, you're not going to choose me to marry me after your birthday. Why are we-"

"That is not true." There it was, that dreaded assumption of who I will be spending the rest of my life with. His eyes read confusion with a hint of disbelief. "Perhaps we will have to unite with Hinyst for our own good. I am willing to set aside my personal wants for the better of this place."

"You are willing to put up with me for thew rest of your life, just so you don't seem selfish?" He asked, making sure he was taking in this information correctly.

"Not for the rest of my life. If _someone_ hired a hitman to take you out, then I would be free." I shrugged and he laughed, not in a mocking way either.

"It's cute, how devoted you are." There was something genuine in this compliment, and I could not help but smile at him.

"I will wear all black at your funeral, out of respect." I reassured him, he laughed again.

"Is that your marriage proposal? I need to see a ring, you know." He joked and it was my turn to giggle.

"In your dreams, Ikuto." It felt nice, to not be harassed by the man that I was supposed to be set up with. I liked to see the best in people, and I knew there was more to this blue-haired pervert than he let on.

"How about another trip outside the castle?" He recommended.

"Ichiro saw me last time, I cannot risk getting caught again." Something about the mention of Ichiro's name made Ikuto snort, I made a mental note of it but refrained from asking.

"We will go to the city on the south side instead of the west, it is closer and much more upbeat than the last one." He told me and I raised a brow.

"Why were you heading to such a town in the first place?"

"I had some things to take care of, but I managed to finish them that night instead." His explanation was rather vague, he saw my annoyance with that and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, let us go then." I attempted to keep my calm, but leaving this castle again was filling me with unimaginable excitement. This time I would be going out as a princess, and perhaps I could get more answers about this mysterious group.

So Ikuto and I walked to a different part of the wall, one that was still lacking in guards if we were able to get out so easily. Ikuto helped me up once again, I was glad he went up first since I did not want him under me while I was wearing this. Once we were on the other side, I noticed the sounds of loud drums and music playing. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, the source coming from the area straight ahead.

"What is going on?" I looked up at Ikuto, who had a crooked grin.

"Let's find out." He grabbed my wrist and started to drag me through the long grass. I did not struggle to keep up, even though his legs were much longer than my own. The closer we got, the more I could hear coming out of the city. There were sounds of laughter and music, some people were singing and clapping. I could see colorful banners decorating the street, confetti covering the floor and I stared in complete awe.

"What are they celebrating?" I watched the many events unfolding, whether they were playing the street games set up or playing with sparklers.

"They hold a festival for the full moon, it's a pretty big deal." He told me and I nodded, a cheerful laugh escaping my lips as I continued to watch. I checked my wrist watch and saw it was only six, the sun would be setting soon so they came at the perfect time.

"Well, let us go! Play some games, try some food, something!" It was my turn to grab Ikuto's wrist, dragging him to different stands and places of entertainment. I have never attended such a colorful and lively event. Sure, we held dances and balls and dinners, but they were so sophisticated and contained. Here there was such a variety, whether it be the people or the food.

By the time I had covered only half of what was available, two hours had gone by and I felt drained of the energy I had when we first arrived. It was the first time I had so much genuine fun, nothing felt forced and it was so refreshing. I wasn't bombarded with people who knew I was the princess either, perhaps they just ignored it or did not even notice. I did not mind either way, I was glad I had such a good experience.

"Look." Ikuto and I were on our way home, I was finishing off the remains of the pink candy floss while the prince had dropped his blue one in the trash while ago. We were in back in the plain of grass when he pointed something out in the sky, the moon shining to the fullest of its abilities. It was not my first time viewing it, but this time it just felt so different. After being so invested in the festival and breaking out of those castle walls, looking at it made my heart feel warm.

"I'll have to buy you chocolate to repay you, my prince." I sat down on the ground, taking in more of my freedom before having to return. I finished the sugary vat that was on a stick and placed the trash beside me.

"Why chocolate?" He sat beside him, keeping his eyes up.

"I noticed, whenever you bought a dessert it was usually something pertaining to chocolate."

"Keeping an eye on me?" He chuckled.

"When you are constantly in one area all of the time like the castle, you learn to pay attention to key details that no one would notice. Like that there's a chip to the right of the door that leads into the kitchen. Or the fact that in the third guest room on the left of the hall, one of the pillows is missing on the bed. You like chocolate and whenever you feel socially awkward, you put your hands in your pockets to appear more shut off." I rambled on, realizing that I might have been talking too much. Yet when his eyes met me, his head resting the knees brought to his chest while turned to the side to still look at me. There was only genuine interest, no sign of his mind drifting off.

"Wow. I wonder how many people actually listen to the things you say." The strange question made me tilt my head to right curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"No one starts listening to you until you're a king or queen, princes and princesses are just little trophies until the big dogs are ready to hand over the throne or croak. It's annoying, having a voice just to stay unheard." He started off strong but his voice ended in a low mutter, if it was not for our close proximity, I probably would not have heard him.

"I wish my parents would listen to me, or at least validate my need to know what's going on." I agreed with him.

"I think that's the most teenager thing I've ever heard you say." He grinned and I stuck my tongue out at him, causing him to chuckle. "Why are you so committed to this? To defending your family?"

"They are all I have and have ever known. I will think the best of them until the end, it is who I am."

"Is that why you're so desperate for experiences outside the wall?" He asked and I just stared at him now.

"Yeah, perhaps." I mulled it over. "For new feelings, for things I never thought I could get."

The way he looked under the moonlight was intoxicating, his eyes matching the night sky perfectly and I felt lost in them. My eyes then dropped to his lips, they looked so plump and delicious. There was a thick redness covering my face as I acknowledged these thoughts suddenly filling my head.

"Don't look at me like that Amu." He snapped me out of it and I noticed I was chewing on my bottom lip out of frustration.

"Like what?" I feigned innocence.

"Like you want me." He laid down, putting both of his hands behind his heads. "You said no touching, and I am doing my best."

I felt that fire from the first kiss we shared, it was as if every place he touched last time was suddenly on fire. My mind begged for the rest of the spaces to be filled, to feel him on every inch of me. I fisted the grass, ripping it from its roots as I tried to contain myself. I had never felt such a strong desire before, for a man that I was supposed to hate.

"What if I…revoked that rule?" I found myself looking down now, the sentence too bold for me to look at him while I said it.

"Is that supposed to be a hypothetical? Or has the rule been revoked?" He slowly sat back up, and I noticed him inching closer.

"You tell me." I shrugged.

"Oh no, I am not being pinned for making the first move again." He said and quickly leaned in, I felt his hot breath and lips graze my ear. "Besides, it's much more of a turn-on to hear you beg for it." His low voice was almost enough to make me moan out, but I kept it in.

"I-I do not really know what to say." I confessed. That's when he moved in front of me, grabbing one of my legs and I kicked out of instinct, he laughed since he was able to hold it.

"Just say what you feel, princess." His lips grazed over the skin on my ankle, the teasing making me flinch.

"I want to feel you, all over me." I confessed, looking down at the ground.

"Look at me." He demanded, I snapped my eyes at him right when he began to kiss my leg. Maintaining eye contact, he left a trail of butterfly kisses while going higher up my leg, the skin becoming more and more sensitive. I squirmed once he got to my thigh, since he became rougher and started to bite and suck at my pale skin. He spread my legs apart and I could not just close them or I would crush his head.

"What are you-"

"Just lay on your back." He instructed, I gulped but followed. I felt the grass tickle the parts of my back that the dress did not cover, looking up at the sky while Ikuto took full control. I felt his finger graze over the underwear I was wearing, I shuddered in response to his touch. Then I felt something soft and moist replacing it, my eyes widened as I looked down at the sight before me. He hiked up my babydoll to my waist, his mouth on the most sensitive part of my body with only a thin piece of fabric separating him from it.

"That's embarrassing." I mumbled.

"But it feels so good, right?" His teeth went for the hem of my underwear and tugged on them, I could tell it was a signal that he wanted them off so I pushed my hips off the ground so he could finish. Once they were off, my entire body was heating up, a sensation building in my core and it was sending waves throughout my entire body.

Without anything in the way, his tongue worked its way in-between my legs and I gasped, arching my back off of the ground. His hands help my hips in place, and out of instinct I spread my legs further apart so he had more room. I could barely understand what he was doing, but he found an incredibly sensitive spot that made me shiver with the way his mouth moved around it. I felt so wet down there, I knew that was a natural response but I still felt somewhat ashamed of it.

All thoughts were wiped from my mind when I felt him work a finger in there. Now there was no way to hide it, a loud groan escaped my lips before I had time to cover them with my hand. Slowly, he started pumping it in and out of me and the there was something building within me, a need to release.

Then he managed to get two, keeping his mouth on the most sensitive part he found earlier. My hands went for his hair, tugging at it from the immense amounts of pleasure I was experiencing because of him. He pumped in out of me quickly, sometimes curling his fingers and hitting a spot that made me twitch every time he touched. It was no use, the feeling kept building and building and I could not hold it back anymore.

"Ikuto!" I exclaimed, feeling my body pulsating in the sweetest way imaginable. I was slowly climbing down now, my chest heaving and the rest of my body sweating from the heat that built up.

"You taste sweet. Want to try it?" He placed his fingers on my lips, I wrapped my lips around his finger and sucked off the remnants of what I think was my orgasm. It was salty, but nothing unbearable. My eyes met his and I saw his were wide with shock, I pulled my mouth away.

"What?"

"Sorry, that turned me on more than I thought it would." He scratched the back of his head. I cast my gaze downwards when I saw the obvious tent in his pants.

"Wait, what about you?"

"Eager, aren't we?" He smirked, I crossed my arms over my chest and pursed my lips.

"I just feel bad, you are putting in all of the work."

"Then I promise next time, I'll give you something else to suck on." He winked at me. I searched the field before I finally found the pair of white lace panties I was wearing. A naughty idea made me ball them up in my hand, approaching Ikuto and shoving them in his pocket.

"Then take these, as a promise for that next time." I pressed against him purposefully while completing my action, pulling away and turning my back to him while walking back to the castle.

"My, my Amu." He whistled, my confidence growing.

 **Imagine if my mother knew about this? Like how ashamed would she be?**

 **Review please!**


	13. Chapter 11 : A Look of Admiration

"You what?" Rima practically screamed and I had to cover her mouth, giggling lightly at the tiny blonde's excitement. Once she promised to whisper, I went back to brushing my hair in front of the small mirror on one of my dressers.

"It was nothing." I shrugged my shoulders, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible. It all happened an hour ago and I still had to stop my legs from shaking while I was sitting. Mio had asked where I been, and I played it off like I was in the castle the entire time and she just had not noticed.

"You got fingered outside the castle walls, how is it nothing?" Rima repeated what I said so crudely, but I suppose I should get used to it. If Ikuto and I continued these intimate relations, and I continued to tell Rima about them, then these comments were only getting worse.

"It was so odd, and I am not sure if it was because of the location or the person." I admitted to her.

"Well, you were right outside the castle with the most scandalous prince out there. It could be both of those factors." She stated and I nodded in agreement. "So, are you going to be marrying Ikuto?"

"I am not sure, if I did it would only be for the better of my country."

"So it has nothing to do with you moaning his name on the grassy hills?" She wiggled her eyebrows and I threw my brush at her, she managed to dodge it.

"Well on that naughty note, I will be retiring for the night. Goodnight, my beloved Amu." She mocked a proper tone, I was not sure if it was my own or just in general but I just said my goodnight without arguing. My choice of words were rather different from Ikuto's and even Rima's. Not that I could help it, it was how I was raised to speak.

Since I had to brush my teeth, I went to the bathroom that was connected with my own room to get the job done. That is when I noticed the note stuck in my mirror, did Rima leave that there? Or was it Ikuto pulling a prank on me?

The first thing I noticed was the choice of the wax seal, which I had never laid eyes upon. In a rather modern society, even mail itself was left behind with our advancements in technology. I eyed it more carefully, it was a vibrant ruby color with a phoenix on it. My eyes widened, there was no way someone from that group could have gotten in.

Then again, Ikuto has been able to sneak in and out without an issue. Who is to say someone else would not be able to?

Hesitantly, I plucked it from where it was stuck. I ripped the wax seal, opening the note and reading it aloud.

"We have been watching you carefully, we know you seek change. If you want to know how you can better your land for your people, leave this note in the west corridor of the castle. We will leave a following note after the pick-up." I could not believe it, were they actually considering recruiting the princess to join a rebellion? I went to rip it but stopped in my tracks, this was my way in. There was one way to find out everything I could about this group, and I held the invitation in my hands.

I could not spare any time, I snuck out of my bedroom and made my way to the abandoned part of the castle. I had to be nimble about this, if my true intentions were found out by them they could kill me. If anyone from the castle found out, I would be found guilty of treason and sent straight to death row. It was a lose-lose situation, with a small chance that I had the chance to solve the issue that has been racking at my parents' brains.

It would all be worth it, even if the attempt itself was fatal.

Before exiting the castle, I was set on being wed to Tadase simply for his kindness. Seeing the state of that town shattered me, I was dreaming of true love when I should have been worrying myself with my country. That is why I need to figure out the truth before my wedding date, so I can make the best decision.

I placed the note down, letting out a breath that I did not know was trapped in my chest. I nodded to myself, almost as if I was trying to reassure myself that everything would be okay.

* * *

It has been three days since I left the note, each day filling me with more dread as I awaited the result. In the meantime, I was forced through lessons and a date with Tadase. He was kind, but nothing less was expected. It could not compare to when Ikuto took me outside of the palace walls, nothing can compare to that adrenaline rush.

"Amu, you're in your own world today." Mr. Martinez noticed, my eyes widened when I noticed that I had not heard a word he said before my name.

"I am so sorry, I promise to pay attention." I quickly collected myself, grabbing my pen and staring at my teacher with the intent of learning. But instead of continuing, he just laughed.

"You're not one to drift, what's on your mind?" He leaned against the desk.

"How come I am not allowed outside of the castle." I asked him, he let out a heavy sigh.

"It's not just you, the king and queen are not allowed either unless there's a special event going on."

"But why? Proper rulers should communicate with their people, not be locked up." I argued and he smiled at me.

"I've been preaching that since I was hired, but no one will listen to a lowly teacher." His self-deprecating joke struck my heart, knowing a part of me could relate with him.

"It is not just you, they just think they are always right." I muttered, getting frustrated at just the mention of the topic. I wanted to ask my parents more questions, but with the preparations for me to take the throne, I barely had the chance to see them. I was also risking them yelling again, so right now all I could wait for was the rebel group to contact me or for Ami to find something out.

"They're the royal family, their word is final after all." He stated with a disappointed look in his eyes, but tried to cover it with a grinning expression. "Class is dismissed."

"What, but there's still an hour left." I pointed out.

"I said class is dismissed, Ms. Hinamori. Now don't make me say it a third time." He repeated, I simply nodded and quickly left. I had time to myself now, I could spend it studying to make up for the lack of a lesson, but I knew I truly did not want to do that. I remembered the piano and bit my bottom lip, knowing how tempted I was to go and play.

Looking around me to make sure no one could see, I sped to the abandoned corridor where my favorite piano waited for me. When I made it without being caught by anyone, I took a moment to admire the older treasure. I was grateful that someone randomly left this here, with ivory and ebony keys that beckoned me to spend hours on them to create beautiful melodies.

I let my hair out of the tight ponytail it was forced into, causing an annoying headache. Once I was done shaking my hair out, I placed my hands on it gently, as if I did not want to have it shatter from my touch. I recalled a certain song I had recently listened to and learned the sheet music to, doing the best I could from memory.

"I don't care, go on and tear me apart." I sang delicately, barely heard over the music being created as it bounced off of the walls in a brilliant manner. I could not help the grin that took over my lips as I felt myself become woven into what I was playing. "'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars, I think I saw you."

The melody became more complicated and I could hear the mistakes but I was too busy making sure the majority of them came out smoothly. I was so wrapped up in loveliness of it all that I did not notice the intruder leaning against the door frame. Once I was finished, I looked up and saw him there. It was the first time I had seen him since the incident on the field, and something just knocked the wind out of me once I saw him.

"That was…unexpected." He looked at me with an odd look in those midnight eyes, a look I had never seen before in somebody's eyes. I was beyond embarrassed, no body had heard me play or sing before and I was not sure how I felt with Ikuto being the first one.

"Do not look at me like that." I avoided eye contact with him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I'm admiring you Amu, do you not like to be admired?" That is what it was, I could not recognize the sense of admiration in his face. I had seen it a couple of times from my little sister, but not in the way his eyes gleamed it. It gave me warming feeling in my chest, to be looked at like that. A crimson red flushed my body, unsure of how to reply to such an emotion.

"Music was a big part of my childhood growing up, my father taught me to read sheet music for all kinds of instruments." He explained, coming over to sit next to me. "My favorite was always the violin, but that doesn't mean I didn't learn the rest." His fingers played out a short tune, his face seeming peaceful as he did so.

"You play other instruments, your family let you learn how to play?" I was beaming at this, feeling like a child as I pushed myself closer to him while bombarding him with questions.

"As a child you learn faster, playing instruments almost became second nature. My parents always valued learning that came with experience, not out of books." He continued, having me hooked on every word that left him. "Did your parents not teach you?"

"No, they find more value in books than anything." I admitted with a pout.

"So how did you learn?"

"Self-taught for five years." His eyes widened at this.

"That's incredible." He whispered, looking down at me with that look again. It was so different than when my parents looked at me with strict expectations or when everyone else looked at me with a certain fear of being around the princess. It was a genuine emotion he was showing me, one of the purest things I have ever laid my eyes upon.

"You play multiple instruments, that is extraordinary."

"Don't tell me you're falling for me already." He bumped his shoulder into my playfully.

"Way to ruin a _friendly_ moment, prince." I emphasized the word, turning back to the large instrument in front of us, waiting to be played again. I thought of a different song, tapping my chin until I thought of the perfect one. I played accordingly, not feeling bashful anymore as I let my voice come out strongly all the way from my stomach.

"Today I'm not myself, and you, you're someone else. And all of these rules don't fit, and all that starts can quit." I closed my eyes to focus on the quality of my voice as well as the accuracy of which keys I hit. I barely made any mistakes, and ones I did make, I doubt could be heard.

Once I was finished, I opened them once again to look at him with a cheerful look. His eyes were locked on me, resembling the sky so much that I could be fooled into believing the entire galaxy had its attention on me. We were both fixated on each other, as if we were meeting for the first time.

His hand rested on my cheek, not making any further movements so I just pushed my cheek into it, resting my head in his palm as I looked at him. I was wondering why his demeanor changed so drastically after our many arguments, it is not as if our opposing and stubborn opinions had changed.

" _Then you start thinking a little deeper, things that you actually like about me. It soon becomes lust, physical attraction that then later turns into love."_

It all had started the moment he took me to the worn down town, where we both willingly spent time together. Ikuto made me feel such intense emotions of hate and lust that my mind began to link the two, craving the boy more than I have ever craved anyone. It was enough to drive someone insane, and how accurate his prediction turned out to be was almost terrifying.

"I hate you." I said to him, I was expecting shock but instead I just got a chuckle.

"I hate you too, little miss prissy."

"No Ikuto, I hate you. You have proven to have the ability to turn someone into a mental patient, to make someone just go crazy. You are arrogant, stubborn, and you think you are above everyone else in this kingdom. You have made me feel things, emotions I never knew existed." I rambled until I was out of words, breathing heavily but still looking directly at him.

"You sure know how to make a guy seem warm inside." He smirked at me.

"Oh, shut up." I grabbed both sides of his, bringing him in so he could crash against my lips.


	14. Chapter 12 : Age Rule

Before I knew it, I was in his lap with my legs wrapped around his waist. My arms held onto his neck for support, but to also push myself further against him. I wanted every centimeter between us closer, I wanted the feeling of the beading sweat on his skin against my own, his hot breath hovering over it before attacking various parts of my neck. I was addicted, the more I accepted what he did the more I craved it.

"Ikuto." I moaned when I felt his member harden, the skirt I was wearing would have left me completely exposed if it was not for the underwear. I felt the heat radiating off of it, pressing against my crotch and I found myself grinding against it. My hips moved on their own accord to what felt the best while my lips focused on sliding against his.

"Want to return that favor now?" Ikuto pulled away, looking up at me and I nodded eagerly. Ikuto chuckled at this, unzipping his pants once I climbed off of him. Once he pulled it out, my eyes became noticeably wider since it caused him to smirk. It was big, I had no prior experiences to compare it to but I still wondered how it could fit in my mouth.

"Wow." I breathed out. I was extremely nervous, not sure I would be as good as the past girls he has been with.

"Just the sight of you kneeling in front of me with that innocent look is enough to set me off." He ravished me with his eyes and I wanted to look away, but a part of me felt electrified from the contact. Without another word, I wrapped my fingers around him delicately, he hissed at the touch that I knew was cold. While holding it, I licked the tip and he threw his head back at the contrast of temperature.

I have had studies about human anatomy, but it is not like I was taught or ever even introduced to what a human enjoys sexually, especially a male. This would only be a series of what I would hope to be my best guesses. So I wasted no time experimenting with trial and error, wrapping my lips around the tip and I could hear a low grumble erupt from his throat.

As if he could read my mind, he grabbed a fistful of my hair and led me up and down, making me bob my head as I took more of him in. He took his time to see how far it could fit, and I noticed that I did not have a reflex that would make me gag. Without needing him, I pushed my head all the way down, having the foreign object hitting the back of my throat. He was breathing heavily and let go, clutching the piano bench now instead as I gained enough confidence to continue on my own.

I swirled my tongue around it and felt a salty taste invade my tastebuds, I could only assume it was precum. It meant he was close, and I was doing something right. If there was not something preoccupying my lips right now, I would have smiled. I took him out of my mouth for a moment, a long line of saliva still connecting us until it broke. I placed my hand on him and started moving it up and down, applying some pressure but not enough to hurt him.

"Fuck, Amu." Hearing him moan out my name like that was awakening something within me. I have had a built up heat ever since he pulled his pants down, but now the need to be touched could not be as easily ignored. But I promised myself this time it would be all about him, returning the favor like I said I would. I met those ocean-like eyes that were filled with a fiery lust, looking into them as I took him into my mouth. He moved his hips, pushing himself in and out of my mouth so I only had to keep it open.

I felt him start twitching, not knowing what that meant until I felt a nearly overwhelming salty taste. I pulled away and felt it in my mouth, swallowing it down since I did not have anything else to do with it.

I stood up, he put both of his hands on my hips and pulled me close. I leaned down and he planted a kiss on my lips.

"Are you sure that was your first time?" He teased and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Do not try and boost my ego, I am sure I could not have been that good." I rolled my eyes.

"Not at all, you are going to need a lot more training." He shot me a devilish wink, I slapped his shoulder with a giggle.

I looked at the boy before me, only an intangible border between us and yet we were raised with two different lifestyles. I had always wished I was raised with more freedom, and he was the embodiment of those dreams.

There was also the way he challenged every word I said, made me prove my point and was not willing to just accept it. I have never met someone who was not afraid to argue with me, and despite the frustration, it was truly a breath of fresh air. Everything I hated about him, I also found endearing and it tore me in two trying to figure out which thought held dominance in my head.

Then it hit me, like a stampede of young horses eager to run. We were having casual relations, it had happened too many times to say it was an occasional thing. I, as the princess of Dragran, was hooking up with the prince of Hinyst. Doing something that probably meant slim to none to him, just another girl to check off his list.

"I-I need to go." I told him, feeling his grip strengthen on my hips to stop me from retreating.

"So soon? I thought we were having fun." He smirked up at me, I grabbed his wrists and threw them away from me. I walked over to the frame of the door, resting one hand on it as I stopped mid-step.

"No more of this, a princess should not be behaving this inappropriately." I did not bother to look over my shoulder as I spoke, just said what I felt was needed and continued down the hall. There was a part of me telling me to turn around, as if what I did was wrong. It was the best thing for the both of us, I had to keep my head clear for the mission ahead and he could be away from the prim and proper princess he dislikes.

Even with the most logical thoughts flowing in to reassure myself, I still felt rather strange. Nothing could comfort me now, I feel as if I had lost something I was just starting to truly have.

* * *

"So with the MultiCountry Union Act being created backed in the mid 1900's, most of the countries have been able to live peacefully while still being run by an absolute monarchy." My history teacher droned on about our world history. "Can you tell me which country was the first to propose such an act, and what rules it set in place for the future?"

"Our very own country Dragran wrote the act, and it stated the marital laws and how each heir would either be sent off or assigned to stay in their own country." Ami answered, having the abundant amount of energy she always had.

"Very good Ami, now can you tell me the biggest rebellion that has ever taken place?" The female asked, Ami scrunched her eyebrows together as she tried to remember the information previously taught. "Princess Amu?"

"The Rebellion of Redfox, a rather large city in Astaria that eventually led to the country removing itself from the Union." I tried to speak with enthusiasm but I could not even force it out.

"Very good. Astaria resigned from the Union in 1978, with a few countries following but most remained." She complimented me and I let out a sigh, tapping my fingernails against the desk impatiently as the last five minutes of class dragged out slowly.

The last time Ikuto and I spoke was yesterday, the day I told him that we could not do anything any more. Now I was concerned with running into him and waiting for a sign from the rebel group, hoping they would reply or that they at least managed to pick up what I left. A servant could have taken the note and tossed it, but the chances were unlikely since no one ventured over there.

I was growing impatient, the anticipation was sure to make my hair fall out. I did not know what they were planning to do with my acceptance, whether they intended on taking advantage of me or actually bring me in as a part of their group. Would they view me as an equal? Would I be a slave for labor or information? These questions have been clawing and are only becoming more persistent with time.

"Class dismissed, good job today girls." The world history gave us a small smile as my sister and I walked out together.

"Is it not strange how they keep bringing up the Union?" Ami brought up and I was confused.

"It is what shaped the future, our present." I did not think much of it, every heir had to be aware of the several things the MultiCountry Union Act provided and how much of an impact it had.

"It's as if these walls just keep whispering, remember the Union, never betray the Union. Like, just shut up already Grandpa." Ami mocked the ghosts of the our dead relatives.

"They are turning in their graves because of you." I scolded her and she cackled, and I could not help but laugh along because hers was so contagious.

"Hope you two had a fun lesson because Ami has a self defense class right now." Mio quickly scooted over to come between us, reading over the schedule on her tablet.

"What do I have scheduled?" I dreaded the answer.

Tapping away with her stylus, she seemed puzzled but did not seem to want to question it. Perhaps she just did not want to waste the time to. "Nothing, you have time before the practice dinner tonight. Oh! There's a big dinner tomorrow, so pick out a color and style dress and I will have it prepared for tonight."

I nodded, letting her take my younger sister away with the swift grab of the arm. Now I was alone in the hall, not willing enough to walk to my piano with the memories of yesterday fresh in my head. The thought of it was enough to make me shudder, and it was not out of disgust either. My lips tingled, begging for the sensation Ikuto's brought.

Who was I kidding? My entire body was loathing the decision I made, screaming to let the boy back but I could not. It was a distraction, I was blinded by physical attraction instead of thinking about my decisions. If the fool had not kissed me after my parents yelled at me, none of this would have ever happened.

The more I mused, the more aggravated I became with the situation. It is what he does with every girl, just lures them in by frustrating them. He named his plans to me beforehand and I still fell for them, willingly sticking my leg into the bear trap that was Ikuto Tsukiyomi.

I slammed my bedroom door shut and saw a paper fly once I did, it had been resting in the hinge of the door and the impact had caused it to come loose. Picking it up from the floor, I quickly skimmed over it.

 _We see you have accepted our invitation, we will be investigating you and your true intentions. The phoenix has eyes all over the castle._

 _P.S. Enjoy the break we gave you, Mio should come up with a more clever password._

They had access, and they did not mind proving it to me. I scowled, that means I would have to wait while they evaluated me further. I was sick of waiting, I had been waiting to be told what to do all my life. Perhaps I could find them, would that be enough to prove myself.

"Amu!" Rima shrieked as she opened the door, I calmly closed the note to show it was not anything to acknowledge.

"Yes?" I placed it on my dresser, and she did not pay any mind to it like I planned.

"My parents just called, they told me I could just stay until your birthday and wedding." She exclaimed, I felt happiness overtake me at the news and shrieked with her. We both hugged each other and started jumping around, as if we were toddlers again.

"You can attend my birthday after so many years." I could cry, I was so grateful.

"It is probably because my parents are discussing some major deal with some other country and don't want me around while they're really stressed out."

"Should you not be getting married soon? You have turned nineteen already." She laughed at the question, but when she noticed I was not faltering she stopped.

"Dragran is the only country who still marries off their daughters at nineteen, every other country is allowing their daughters to wait until they are twenty-one." My eyes widened at this new piece of information.

"Then are are my parents…" I trailed off.

"They didn't tell you about the new age rule? They are really serious about you marrying Ikuto." Rima said and the anger made my blood boil. They were so keen on educating me, but only the things that would benefit them. They never approved of me learning the piano, and now they were withholding information from me.

Maybe joining a rebellion would not be too bad.


	15. Chapter 13 : Calculated and Contained

Before I had to be suffocated in a fitting, I stomped over to my mother's office. Out of the two of my parents, my mother was the one who listened to me sometimes; but then again the chances of that were still low. I did not have the patience to wait until after the rehearsal dinner was over, I needed to speak with her now.

So I opened the door to their quarters, where I knew my mom would be taking her fifteen minute relaxation period. Anything less would not be enough, anything more would be waste of time; that is how she always justified it. I saw her sitting there enjoying a book, rather shocked that anyone would interrupt her private time.

"There was a change in the age law? I do not have to be wed at nineteen?" I started, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"Amu, I-"

"No! That is not fair! You are not allowed to withhold information from me just because it benefits you." I cut her off, not wanting to hear her defense.

"So you want to wait? Have Prince Tsukiyomi be sent back and sent to a princess who is willing? Leave your country behind for your wants?" The thought of him going to someone else bothered me, but I did not have time right now to think about why.

"I never said that, but I believe that I should be aware of what is optional and what is not. You forcing me to do something will never show what I am willing to do for my country." I hissed, this being the roughest tone I have ever used against one of my parents.

"Do not act like we are shoving it down your throat. We even brought you another prince so you can pick, we are being considerate."

"Considerate?" I scoffed. "Do not give me that when you are leaning towards me going for Hinyst, telling me that I have to rotate dates because you knew how I would feel about the narcissistic heir."

"Apparently, your father and I were wrong about how you would feel. You two sneaking out together is adorable." She sneered, my eyes widening. "We have guards everywhere honey, did you really think no one noticed that you two were leaving? We simply allowed you to leave, do not be so stupid to think that it was in your power."

They had been pulling the strings, my freest moments were completely monitored. My heart was slamming against my ribs, blood pounding in my ears in pure rage. I had never been this angry, I had never felt this stripped of something. I have never had anything I treasured like my moments outside of the castle, and my parents had managed to take that as well.

My next move was more calculated and contained than I wanted, but it is the only thing I could manage. I could not have anyone on to me, or to believe I would have any reason to go against the kingdom. I took a deep breath, focusing on the air filling my lungs and my chest rising.

"I am sorry for overstepping my boundaries mother, please excuse me." I bowed my head, seeing her expression when I came back up. My mother would never be surprised by my polite behavior, I have been a matt to walk all over since birth. They have been taking advantage of that, manipulating me into believing their truths.

Walking out quickly, I felt a tear slip past my ducts but I let it fall down my cheek. I was not upset, I was so furious but this was the calmest way I could express it. I was glad that I could behave in such a level-headed manner, or else I could have ruined everything. The rebel group must have had a way to watch that, hopefully they did not think my submission was genuine.

I felt my shoulder knock against someone else, causing me to stumble a little but the person grabbed my upper arm to help me regain my balance. I met the eyes of a golden sunset, encased with long lashes and a warming feeling. I did not recognize him, I could swear I have never met this man before in my life.

Violet hair that was tied into a bun, almost fooling me into believing that he was a female. He was wearing the server's uniform, perhaps he was hired for tonight's and tomorrow's dinner. There was a silence between us, his grip still tight on me while looking over me, as if he was analyzing me. I shook away from him, beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"Pardon me, my princess." He bowed, speaking with a certain amount of confidence.

"No, I should have been paying attention."

"Are you upset? What is troubling a beautiful girl like you?" He pointed out, I lifted my hand to delicately wipe the tear and shook my head.

"It does not matter, I would not want to trouble someone I just met with my problems." There was no point in lying, he had seen my tears and there was no way to cover that up.

"Well my name is Nagihiko, if that brings us any closer." He grasped my hand gently, kissing the top of it. It was odd, a servant was meant to be polite but they would never dare to touch someone of the royal family so casually. Perhaps wherever he was raised the rules were different; I am just now learning how uptight my family actually is after all.

"Nice to meet you." I smiled sweetly, hiding any suspicion I had about this stranger. Perhaps I am overreacting, my trust had just been demolished by my own mother a couple of minutes ago. We said our goodbyes and I continued walking down the hall, not knowing what I should do anymore.

* * *

I was breathing heavily, sweat pouring out of my body as my heart continued to beat quickly. The frustrations that had been enveloping my muscles and bones could finally be let out. That entire rehearsal dinner, all I could do was sit there and smile. I was not even sure what it was for, someone's birthday or something like that.

I hated putting up a front, to look at my mother and pretend as if she had not broken my heart in the few words we exchanged. The taste of freedom was unwillingly taken from my tongue, knowing my parents still had a say in the most rebellious thing I have down replaced it with a sour one. No matter how many times I spat or gagged, it was still there.

I hit the punching bag rapidly, going as fast as humanly possible. I knew it was not making me feel better, but I could not sleep anyway and I needed training.

 _"Don't offer help until you can help yourself, you will slow everyone down. You're the princess, everyone is inclined to protect you before themselves."_

Ichiro's words rang in my head, my heart straining in its chambers. I did not want to be a nuisance, I wanted to become strong enough to protect not only myself, but the people I love. I do not want to be a mindless doll who sits on the throne just to look pretty. I want to avoid ever being as ignorant as I was several days ago.

"Little insomniac is getting her hours in." I heard and jumped, turning around quickly to see Ikuto there.

"You frightened me." I admitted and he scoffed.

"I'm the one who should be scared, for that punching bag especially." He walked up to me and I turned my gaze to the side, not being able to look him in the eyes. My mother mentioning him marrying another girl crossed my mind, filling me with a different kind of frustration.

"You did not attend the rehearsal dinner." I told him, as if he did not know his own whereabouts.

"I know how to eat, I don't need practice." He joked, I nodded stiffly and turned back around.

"So why are you awake at four in the morning?" I spoke while punching again, trying to distract myself from the new thoughts of him on another girl's skin.

"I just got back, I went to a city a little further from the outskirts of this castle." This caught my attention but I could not show it. It is not as if I could leave anymore, my mother probably told the guards to have me stopped now. She won, she always does.

"You should go to bed, you must be exhausted from such an adventure."

"If you can punch something for hours without getting tired, I'll be fine." He reassured me, I stayed silent and kept slamming my fists against my insentient foe. He was still behind me, I could feel his gaze burning past the skin and muscle of my back and against my spine. How could someone's eyes be so intense, so marring?

"C'mon, sweating it out won't help you sleep." He reminded me.

"I know." Why does he care anyway?

"This isn't healthy."

"I do not care." Just leave me alone for once.

"You'll get bruises on those dainty hands of yours." I felt his hands grab my waist and I quickly turned around, twisting his arm behind his back.

"Do not refer to any part of me as dainty." I snarled, feeling a surge of power course through me as I recognized our position. It quickly faded, and I was awoken from my dominant daze. I looked at Ikuto, who had shaken out of my grip and was rotating his shoulder to relieve the tension I caused.

"I learned my lesson." Expecting him to be upset, I bashfully found attention in my feet.

"I apologize, not really sure what came over me." I mumbled, losing the confidence I previously had gained.

"It was pretty hot." He commented and my eyes widened, looking up at him to see him smirking. "You're getting stronger, don't let me get in the way of that." He ruffled my hair, I was about to yell but then I saw his expression. The same one he gave me when I was playing piano, except it had a melancholy undertone to it.

Ikuto walked out of the gym, and I had to stop myself from calling out his name. I could not fall back into him, he probably only came in to keep himself in my mind. Everything about him is perplexing, and his presence demands undivided attention. I could not waste that on him right now, there are already enough secrets dancing around me just waiting to be discovered.

I bit my lip, I knew my mind was keeping up a strong defense. But I wanted to give in, to succumb to my wants for once. I sighed, resting my forehead against the punching bag lightly so it would not tilt back. My entire body was in a turmoil, and I was not sure which side I would rather listen to.

 **Hey guys I'm in South Florida so let's up this hurricane doesn't tear up my house!**


	16. Chapter 14 : Different Methods

"Coffee." I mumbled, feeling my muscles and mind screaming at me. For once, I regretted not listening to Ikuto, because I could not have awoken in a worse mood.

"You know your mother doesn't like it when you drink coffee." Mio reminded me.

"I will not tell. Apparently, it runs in the family to not tell each other things." My passive-aggressive tone made her look at me with a raised brow. "I know about the age law, how I would not have to be wed by my birthday."

Mio froze, trying to hide her moment by quickly starting back up again. "How did you find out?"

"You knew? And you failed to inform me because?" This was the emotional punch I needed to wake me up, to know the person I trusted with everything could not do the same.

"What would that have done, Amu? We need you to marry-" She cut herself off.

"Why? Why do we need me to marry the prince of Hinyst?" I pushed the question that has been bugging me for so long, but she just bit her bottom lip. "Fine, we can play this professionally then."

"Amu, don't act like that." She pleaded.

"I will see you after the lesson to pick up my dress for the ball, I can dress myself after that. I will go make myself a cup of coffee, tell the queen if you like, does not matter to me." I walked out of my room, letting out a deep breath once my bedroom door was shut. It hurt, but I did not want to be friendly with someone who sided with my mother more than they sided with me.

I glided through the halls, looking for the professional kitchen instead of the personal one. My mother knew about my strange sleeping habits and since I've asked for caffeine before, she rid the personal kitchen of a coffee machine.

I walked into the environment with a bustling staff, preparing the meals to feed dozens of blue bloods tonight. I recently learned that it was the birthday of a duchess named Saaya, her family was in charge of a southern part of Dragran. Since it was the birthday of someone in our own country, it was a much bigger deal.

Sounds of silverware scratching against pot and plates, knives quickly chopping vegetables, and meat sizzling quickly attacked my ear. But my nose was rather delighted by the scents of glorious food being made. I had to be quick, I could not relish in all of it since I came here on a mission. Besides, I would not want to be a bother for the people working rather diligently. So I spotted the coffee machine and weaved through people who barely noticed I was even cutting through.

"Amu! What a blessing to see ya here!" The main chef called and I smiled at him.

"With such delicious food being prepared, I could not help myself." I told him. I remembered being younger and playing with the servants, whether it was with the kitchen staff or the maids and butlers who roamed and cleaned.

"What can I do for ya?" He asked.

"Oh no, I was just going to make myself a cup of coffee." I waved my hands dismissively, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and let out a hearty laugh.

"I can make ya the best cup of coffee you'll ever have, and it's rather simple." He told me, walking us to the coffee maker. He began to work, the smell of coffee beans getting me excited. I have not had coffee in years, and this cup definitely would beat the last one.

He handed me a mug, and I saw he drew a leaf out of the cream. My jaw dropped, looking at it in amazement. "How did you do that?"

"Chef's secret." He winked, I rolled my eyes and took a sip. It was made sweet, but there was still a bitter undertone on my tongue. It was delicious, just like he promised it would be.

"It's perfect!" I exclaimed.

"I'm happy that you're happy with it. I'd love to teach you how to make one, but we're pretty swamped right now. We even had to hire more staff than we usually have." He gestured to his crew with the simple nod of his head.

"I think I met one of them, he said his name was Nagihiko." I brought up the strange boy, just to get a strange look.

"I have never met a Nagihiko before, princess." He chuckled, a realization came over my body but I kept it from being expressed.

"Perhaps I did not catch his name correctly. Well I should go, bye!" I rushed out a little too quickly, but I did not need any more questions. I knew the rebel group would have eyes on the inside, but I never thought they would be bold enough to have someone walk around the castle. Nagihiko was a member of that group, and he was the one who has been keeping an eye on me.

* * *

For Saaya's birthday dinner, I wore a a dress that clung to my every curve but was still breathable enough to be in. It was a glittery light pink, that pooled around my feet like liquid satin. I adjusted the thin straps in the mirror to make sure it was perfect, feeling a little odd since it felt like everything was exposed with how thin the fabric was. My hair was tied into a bun, some curls escaping to frame my face.

My prediction about Nagihiko was still ringing alarms in my head, knowing I would most definitely see him somewhere tonight. I could only assume he knocked into me on purpose, and that he established contact so he could speak to me about our arrangement. But now I could not tell if I was joining to take them down, or to take my own parents down.

I still had to figure out their secrets, nothing could be definite until I figured that out.

Mio tried to approach me, but I was stone cold to her. Until she could tell me what was going on, I could not trust her. I had to assume everyone in this castle was keeping something from me, and I could not take any risk any slip-ups.

"Amu!" My little sister stormed in, I smiled gently at her. It was good to know someone was in the dark with me, but that meant I had to protect her as well.

"You look lovely." I complimented her as she spun in her emerald dress.

"As do you, big sister. Now you will not believe what I heard." Ami started, jumping onto my bed.

"What did those meddlesome ears pick up now?" I teased and she stuck her tongue out at me.

"Apparently, Saaya caught word of the disreputable heir of Hinyst and is planning to snatch him up for her night in the castle." Ami informed me, I was expecting to laugh at this but instead I felt a bile rise up my throat. The thought of a girl I have never met before putting her mouth where mine has been made me clench my fists, digging my nails into the palms of my hands.

"Really? Well she is in for a surprise when he opens his mouth." I spat out, not meaning for my tone to be so vile.

"Are you jealous?" Ami asked, seeming genuinely shocked to even think she had to assume so.

"No, why would I be? I told you how I felt about him before." I spun a loose curl between two fingers, watching it bounce back once I let it go.

"That was almost two weeks ago, has anything else happened since your first date?" Two weeks, with everything that has happened it felt as if more time had flown by. I looked at my little sister, she was one of the few left that I could trust.

"We have kissed, a couple of times." I kept it innocent, I would not want my little sister hearing about how far we went with each other.

"What? I thought you despised him!" Ami exclaimed, I ran over to her and covered her mouth with my hand.

"Stop screaming." I narrowed my eyes at her and she nodded understandingly, so I let her free. "It just happened."

"It does not just happen a couple of times, you like him." She concluded and my eyes widened.

"I do not." I argued.

"You do not get jealous over a man you have no feelings for. You do not kiss someone a couple of times because you dislike them." I rubbed my temples as she spoke, knowing that her words held a truth to them.

"He just…makes me feel. Something other than this constant need to do more. Whether it is anger or curiosity or joy, he has the ability to make me beg for more. He does not give in because I am the princess, he challenges me and makes me prove myself." I started rambling, each confession making Ami's smile grow wider.

"Maybe he is not as bad as everyone paints him out to be." Ami tilted her head to the side curiously.

"Just a different method, I suppose." I looked at the mirror again. There stood princess Amu, with the same light pink hair and fancy gown. But within two weeks, I have been through a great change. I knew to open my eyes more, to allow my curiosity to take a hold of me sometimes. It was healthy, it was something I never knew I desperately needed.

"Let us go." I grabbed my sister's hand and helped her off the bed, keeping our fingers interlocked as we continued down the narrow hall. For the first time in a while, it did not feel as repetitive or as suffocating. We made it to the ballroom, where people were standing and conversation before the main event.

"There you are! I thought you weren't going to make main ceremony." Rima ran up to us, holding the front of her dress so she would not trip.

"Was someone a little lonely?" I poked her cheek and she swatted my hand away, a fire building in her eyes but I just laughed.

"You seem cheerful." She crossed her arms over her chest, I just hummed in reply.

"My sister and I had a very enlightening conversation about her feelings." Ami spoke for me and I elbowed her in the arm.

"Oh, about Ikuto?" The short blonde smirked.

"Why do we always think-"

"Talking bad about my brother again?" A stranger approached our trio. She was a tall blonde, her hair in two pigtails that reached her hips. Her eyes were the deepest shade of violet, her dress made with a color that matched perfectly.

"As usual." Rima shrugged. "Princess Amu, this is Princess Utau; future queen of Hinyst." She then introduced us, I quickly bowed out of habit.

"A pleasure, princess Utau." I did not think it would be a such a formal event where people would be flying in. Especially people from Hinyst, but that just made me believe my parents had something to do with that.

"The pleasure is mine." She followed my polite movements.

"Now this a sight, everyone finally together!" A boy with unruly brown hair wrapped his arms around both Utau and Rima. "The name's Kukai! Future king of Hinyst!"

His declaration was proud, but Utau seemed to shy away at the mention of this. It was strange to see, was she not proud to have Kukai rule beside her? I could not think of another reason she was acting so bashfully.

"She's been in love with him since they were toddlers." Rima whispered in my ear, so I examined the scene again. The beautiful girl had an averted gaze as well as a wonderful shade of crimson coating her cheeks. This is what a crush looked like, what love looked like. I could not help but wonder, is that what I looked like around Ikuto?

At the thought of him, I found myself turning my head to look for him. I saw him planted against a wall by himself, looking out one of the arched window in the ballroom. I bit my bottom lip, wanting to approach him but what if he did not wish to speak to me? I know he went out of his way to do so last night, but I did twist his arm at his attempt to even touch me.

"Do it." I felt someone grip my shoulders comfortingly. I looked over one of them to see Utau there, and I felt confused. "Ikuto comes off like some guy who only cares about himself, but there are reasons to his madness."

"You do not understand." I shook my head.

"I understand when a girl stares that longingly at a guy, it is because she is too scared to talk to him. But you don't seem like the type to scare easily, do you?" Utau smirked at me, her sentence sparking a new confidence in me.

"Thank you." I told her, and slowly crossed the ballroom to go up to him. He noticed me walking towards him beforehand, his eyes locked on me as I drew closer to him.

"I see you met my sister and my bozo of a best friend." He commented.

"They are rather entertaining." I spared them a glance before turning back to him.

"Are you here to twist my arm again?" He joked and I rolled my eyes.

"Actually, I am here to ask you to dance with me." I stuck out my hand, he seemed a little skeptical about my offer. "I promise you, I would just like you to accompany me on the dance floor."

With that, he took my hand and I led him out, dragging him behind me. Now I felt the heat slowly growing up my neck and reaching my face. My stomach was filled with nervousness in the form of butterflies, and I felt like I could not control my breath. I wrapped his arms around his neck and he placed his hands on my waist, and I thought about how odd I thought that was the first time we danced.

"So princess, what happened to you not being able to behave inappropriately?" He brought up the words I told him at the piano.

"Is dancing inappropriate?" I raised a brow.

"I can make it." His crooked grin made my skin feel even hotter. I slapped his arm lightly, which only got a chuckle out of him.

"So I recently found out that girls do not have to be wed at nineteen, that now we can get married at the same age as male heirs." I confessed.

"You didn't know?" Ikuto's genuine shock relieved me, though I never really believed he would have intentionally kept it from me.

"I completely snapped, I was so upset about my mother manipulating me like that. Then she told me those times that I snuck out of the castle, I was not stopped simply because she told the guards to let me go."

"Wow, your mother must get off on smashing dreams." He joked and I sighed. "I'm sorry, bad timing."

"I just felt like my best moments were still controlled, they were barely even my decision at that point." I felt tears prick my eyes and I tried to blink them away

"Hey, hey." He held my cheeks, forcing me to look at him. "This is exactly what she wants, to make you feel powerless. You still went out there Amu, you were in control outside of those walls the entire time. Those experiences you had were amazing, don't let people like your parents convince you otherwise."

I held his wrist gently, leaning my cheek into his palm. I felt safe like this, with him holding me and cooing these soft words into my ear. It was comforting, far more comfort than I have ever received from my parents. There was a light smile adorning his face, his eyes expressing a beautiful emotions that almost made them seem more royal.

"Ikuto, I-" I was cut off by flickering lights, causing Ikuto to grab me by the arm protectively. He moved me closer to the wall, keeping his hold and the lights eventually gave out. A bright spotlight came on in the middle of the floor, gasps and screams filling the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen," I heard, looking to the figure in the middle of the spotlight. There were wearing an anonymous mask, securing their identity from the public. "I believe it is time we make a formal introduction. I am the leader of the rebel group, The Phoenixes. Dragran has had its time to cover its secrets and misfortunate losses, now it is our move. Hope you guys can keep up!"

The voice's laughter echoed, and I hear the sound of glass breaking. All of the windows simultaneously shattered, the ballroom now filled with sounds of terrified shrieks.


	17. Chapter 15 : A Panic Attack

There were multiple people infiltrating the ballroom now, wearing the same gear that the announcer is wearing. I felt like a fawn, my weak legs risking to give out from under me. But Ikuto wasted no time, the grip that never left my arm now pulling me to one of the shattered windows. The ballroom was on the third floor, so I looked over my shoulder at the main doors. There was already a wall of the rebels, making sure no one got out.

"Amu, there's no time!" I heard the prince screech, forcing me to climb onto the edge of the window. There was another window that was open adjacent to the one I was climbing out of, but it led to the hallway right in front of the doors. Ikuto was right, there was no more time to waste.

Ignoring the stretched distance between the ground and I, I swung my leg to latch it onto the windowsill and did a light jump for the rest of my body to reach. I stumbled into the hall, surprised to see it empty. Ikuto followed shortly after, but managed to make it more graceful.

"Let's go." He was not telling me, he was demanding me.

"Wait, but what about my little sister and yours? My parents?" I realized the amount of innocent civilians, and the fact that I had no idea what that group was capable of.

"There were multiple guards in there Amu, they will be fine." He tried to get me to leave again, but I grabbed his upper arm and tugged.

"Then how did they manage to swarm in there so easily? They have a strategy to get around our guards, my family could be in danger."

"And so could you Amu, if you go back in there." I began to wonder why it was so easy for me to escape. Was it because of the pact I promised them? Were they only sparing me because I was willing to work with them to take down my own family? If so, what were they planning to do with the people who were not as selfish as me?

I was acting foolishly, what spoiled child would risk their family just for some freedom. My mother was right all along, I was just ignorant.

"No! I am not leaving them, this is all my fault." I felt myself shaking, in fear of what would happen once I ran back in there. But Ikuto had different plans, he hoisted me up without an issue and threw me over his shoulder. I screamed bloody murder, now hoping one of the infiltrators would find us to pull me away from him.

My heels slipped off as I continued to flail my legs in an attempt to have him drop me. I punched his back repetitively, hitting as hard as I could while hanging upside down. He managed to run without an issue, I never even had to fear that he would let me go with how tightly he held on. He sprinted down flights of stairs and into a random room in the castle. He threw me onto the bed, allowing me to collect myself while he locked the door.

"How could you just rip me away from there? Without my permission?" I glared at him, he stood with his back against the door and sighed.

"Was I supposed to leave you there?" He rose a brow, looking at me condescendingly.

"I could have taken care of myself. I made a mistake and it is my own to deal with." I stood up.

"What mistake?" He questioned and my eyes widened. I had completely forgotten that I was the only one who knew about my deal with the Phoenixes.

"It does not concern you. All you need to know is that I am not staying in here while my family is in danger." I snarled, attempting to walk past him but he grabbed my shoulders. He directed me towards him with ease, making me stand in front of him. I tried to wiggle away from him, slamming my hands against his chest to further my distance from him.

"What are you going to do once you get in there?" I could not listen, I continued to thrash until he had to grip my upper arms to hold me still. "You are putting yourself at risk for nothing Amu. Everyone would rather know you're safe than to have you in there risking your life."

"I am not a delicate creature that needs protection! I can fight, I can protect myself. I do not need someone constantly telling me what I am doing wrong." I exclaimed, but I still could not even manage to get out of his hands.

 _Don't offer help until you can help yourself, you will slow everyone down._

My muscles froze as my subconscious sneered Ichiro's voice at me, reminding me how helpless I truly am. I blinked as I examined my current situation, I could not even escape from Ikuto. How could I defend myself, my family, my country? I have an entire nation waiting for me to rise to the throne, and they are expecting me to be someone they can trust. Perhaps I was just meant to sit around and listen to orders, my royal advisors would be more in control than I ever could be.

The air around me grew thin, I attempted to fill my lungs but it was not working. I was gasping, my chest felt like it was collapsing onto my organs. Ikuto was holding me up, noticing my sudden change and calling out my name. My heart was going at a speed I did not think it was capable of. Thoughts of death wove themselves into my head, filling my stomach with a feeling of dread that made me want to vomit.

"You're having a panic attack Amu, just breathe." I heard soft words in the madness, I could not tell if they were my own or his. I could not believe that I was having some sort of attack, my doctor always told me I was as healthy as a princess should be. Then again, my body has been betraying me for some time, it would not even let me sleep calmly at night.

After a few minutes of focusing on my breathing, I felt my lungs properly inflate once again. I pressed my now sweating forehead against his body, relishing in the sweet ability to inhale properly. Once I had my moment, I pulled away from him and turned my back to him. What could I say after that? It was utterly humiliating to have him see me in such a vulnerable state. No wonder everyone here thinks I am weak, because I blow things out of proportion.

"Amu, it is natural to have a panic attack in a time like this." His words of comfort were immediately blocked.

"That was not a panic attack. I am fine, I do not get _those_." I could not even repeat the word, I felt embarrassed to do so.

"Don't act like that, you need to acknowledge this." His voice almost sounded desperate.

"Enough, I do not want to hear about this anymore! I am more than that feeble moment, do not let what you saw define me." I boomed, turning to face him once again.

"This isn't about me viewing you as anything, this is about you being okay. Can you let someone worry about you without them thinking you're weak? Why is that so damn important to you?"

"Because that is all people view me as, it just took me so long to realize." I was no longer raising my voice, I was as soft spoken as I would usually be. I had overlooked the fact that he basically confessed to worrying about me, but now that it reached me I felt the tips of my ears heat up.

The lingering ring of silence swept through the room, as if we both needed time to process the argument. I held my arms to my chest awkwardly, I never knew how to feel after yelling like that. We usually could storm away from the other, but we were stuck together until who knows how long.

We ran into one of the guest rooms, which also had a connected bathroom for our convenience. I doubt we would be sleeping any time soon, but the king bed in the middle of the room being the only bed made me rather nervous. I gnawed on my bottom lip, not knowing if it was completely awkward or if it was just me overreacting.

"I am going to remove the bobby pins from my hair." The words fumbled out of my mouth as I rushed to the bathroom. I stared at myself in the mirror, my mascara had smudged but other than that, I looked fine. I exhaled a breath of relief, I could not imagine looking like a raccoon in front of him on top of everything else.

By the time all of my hair was at my waist I again, there were at least twenty pins coating the sink. I ran my fingers through my hair, cringing at the stiffness from the hairspray in it. I wished to put it in a braid, but I had never done my own hair before. Pursing my lips, I attempted to remember what my servants did every time they braided my hair.

"One over, and then this strand goes over this…" I muttered, already feeling my hair tangle.

"What are you doing?" I heard Ikuto call and I froze, quickly trying to pull my hair apart. Wincing, I managed to get it out and stepped outside to see him sitting on the bed. His tie was resting on his shoulders, the first couple buttons of his dress shirt were now open.

"I was just braiding my hair." I told him, his eyes glanced at my hair and then back at my eyes.

"That doesn't look like a braid." He chuckled, I averted my gaze. "Wait, you don't know how to braid your hair, do you?"

"No." I admitted, not excited to hear him start teasing me about it.

Instead, he just scooted to the end of the bed and patted on the spot in between his legs. I squinted my eyes at him and he laughed. "Nothing sexual, just come here."

Against my better judgement, I obliged. I felt the heat of his body against the back of mine, his thighs on either side of me pressed rather tightly against my skin. I felt his fingers intertwine in my hair, gentle pulls following.

"You know how to braid hair?" My voice displayed my shock.

"For a while, my sister wouldn't let anyone around her besides me. Her hair was just as long as yours, so I learned for her. I think I could do any braid in the world now." He exhaled a little laugh and I felt it tickle my ear, making me squirm. I hoped he did not notice, but our close proximity made me doubt that.

"There." Now his breath hit the nape of my neck, goosebumps rising all over my skin. He brought the braid to rest in front of my shoulder, letting his fingers linger on the bare skin for a moment before retracting his hand. I quickly stood up, wanting to be away from him but I could still feel the pressure in the air.

The braid was done beautifully, the few strands of my hair that were not long enough stuck out but other than that I loved it.

"Thank you." I smiled pleasantly at him.

"So who chose your dress for this event?" He looked over me, reminding me that I was still wearing the elegant gown.

"I did, I always choose my dresses." I informed him, this just made him a smirk grow across his lips.

"Interesting." He licked his top lip and I shivered under his lustful gaze. I could not ignore it, I was locked in a room with him. The question reminded me of how snug the fabric truly was, so much so that I could not wear undergarments with it. I wonder if he noticed the lack of the outline and knew, or if he assumed I would never go out without underwear.

"Not really, it is just a dress." I moved across the room away from him, feigning a strong will.

"Maybe to you, but you don't have to constantly see yourself in it." He laid down, both hands under his head.

"In mirrors." I pointed out and he scoffed.

"There's still a difference."

"I don't believe so." I acted nonchalantly, pretending to be naive to how distracting a tighter dress can be to a male, especially him.

He turned his head away from the ceiling, now looking at at me fully. "But I don't believe that you want to fuck you as much as I do." The sharpness of that word made my eyes widen, and the meaning of it caused the reddening of my whole body.

"No need to be so crude." I mumbled, leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"But I must be honest, princess Amu," he started, mocking an elegant tone. "You look too good to resist, it just makes me think about running my hands up and down that beautiful body of yours."

"Ikuto!" I exclaimed.

"Too far?" He raised a brow. "Maybe it'd be easier if you were just out of it, lingerie is better than leaving it up to a man's imagination."

"Well, I do not have that option." I admitted, and his ears almost visibly perked up in intrigue.

"Now, I'm glad you didn't leave that up to my imagination."


	18. Chapter 16 : Betrayal

I expected him to stand up, to trail after me and make his usual advances. Instead, he just laid on the bed with a half-grin digging into his cheek. I gave him a minute, but he still did not show any sign of moving.

"From the way you're staring me, I would think you wanted me to chase after you with this new piece of information." He practically read my mind, I huffed and looked the other way.

"It is in your character, and I am just relieved that you did not." I did my best to hide the half of me that was slightly disappointed. After the conversation I had with my baby sister, all I could think about is breaking down how I felt about the heir before me.

"Remember, you're the one who rejected me." He pointed out, his tone seeming more than indifferent.

"Please, you act as if you have never experienced rejection before." I crossed my arms over my chest, expecting an answer but only met with silence. "You have, right?"

"It's very easy for me to get the things that I want, people that I want."

"I doubt no one has ever told you no."

"I never said no one did. But I'm very stubborn, so I am willing to work past a rejection to get something I truly want." I matched his powerful gaze, almost predatory.

"Well you should be fine, I cannot be something you truly want. Just another girl, right?" My passive-aggressiveness slipped through the cracks of my tone, and he immediately caught on.

"Do you believe every rumor you read in the paper?" He scoffed.

"I believe in the behavior you have shown me." I retorted, he looked as if he was about to say something but remained tongue-tied. "I also believe in your lack of words."

"Would I have saved you," he shot up, thoroughly aggravated now. "If I didn't care about you in the least bit, I would have left you there with the rest of your family."

"How am I to know you did not have an ulterior motive?" I snapped back. "I may be idealistic, but do not take that for foolishness. For whatever reason, you want me to go against my parents. You may have had me on your side for a moment, but I will not continue to cross my family."

"Then your idealism is foolishness. I tell you the truth and they lie right to your face, you can continue to deny it all you want but it won't change the outcome of the future."

"What you think about my future is invalid, since you will not be anywhere near it." With this said, he finally stood up, and crossed over to me. Both of us were fuming, I could feel the raised temperature of his body heat mingling with mine. I attempted to push away, but he grabbed my chin and forced me to look into his eyes, clouded with the smoke of a formidable fire in them.

"Is that truly what you believe, that decades from now I will never cross your thoughts again? Face it Amu, you crave this. You don't want anything less, you want someone who constantly challenges you and doesn't make it easy. You want passion, you want adventure, you want me." I could feel the air caught in my throat, my heart threatening to shatter through my ribs and escape. His grip on my chin lightening, his hand now traveling up to my cheek and the lids of his eyes traveling down. He did not seem as alert now, his dominance succumbing to a dull regret and a look of sympathy.

Meanwhile, tears were spilling over my eyes. I attempted to blink them away but with one that travelled down my cheek, two more followed. I knew he was right, Ikuto's stay here had left such an imprint on me that I was left to question everything about my beliefs. He had seen more sides of me than I allowed him too, simply because he had that effect on me. I could not say that when I am old and gray that he will never appear in my dreams, that I will not question my decisions if I do not end up with him. But I knew what I needed to say, what I want myself to believe.

"Do not confuse my want with need, I may want you but do not make it seem like I would not survive without you. I may have become more aware of who I meant to be because of you, and I thank you for that; but do not dare to tell me that you are the most passionate feeling I will feel. You know what I crave? I crave to be a ruler, to be the best queen this country has ever seen. That is my passion." I expected him to become angry with me, but a genuine smile grew on his face.

"You just answered your own question." He said in a hushed tone, his face coming rather close to mine.

"What?"

"You're not just another girl Amu. I've never met someone with such ambition as you. We may disagree on things such as your parents, but we both have a drive that sets us aside from others." Hearing him speak so affectionately towards me made me certain of my sanguine expression, I wanted to cover my face and duck away but I could not. Instead I was caught in his gaze, feeling completely unable to move.

"What is your drive Ikuto? What do you hope to accomplish?" I stared at him, and I saw the dull regret turn into a fierce one. His eyebrows furrowed, as if he was trying to make a choice about something. I felt my gut telling me something was wrong, that this raw moment was just a ruse for something bigger.

"I'm sorry Amu." I saw him reach into his pocket and pull out a drenched handkerchief, pressing it against my nostrils and my mouth. I tried not to breathe it in but it was too late, my vision blurring. The last thing I saw before fainting was the sight of his eyes, then a pitch black took over.

* * *

I woke up groaning, still feeling dazed and rather sluggish. I blinked away the haze, propping myself up on my elbows and looking at my surroundings. It seemed like a regular room, the walls painted a bleak green and minimal furniture. I was on a bed with a scratchy comforter, and there was a single and dim lamp to provide light. The room lacked windows, and there was a single door that was surprisingly ajar.

I could not waste any time, I stood up and tried to move forward but that is when I felt the tight cuff around my ankle that pulled me back. I looked down, seeing I was chained to the bed that was screwed into the floor.

"You have got to be kidding me." I muttered, I sat back down and placed my head in my hands. I recollected my memory, remembering Ikuto chloroforming me after our intimate moment; which I know now was just planned. I could understand that much, but my concern now was why? I know I should be afraid, I was unconscious for god knows how long and chained in a place I have never been in before. Yet, all I could feel was sheer anger.

"You're up, that's good." I heard and snapped my head up, seeing that man Nagihiko I met before. "I would have Ikuto talk to you instead, but I think you couldn't care less about his familiarity right now."

"Where am I and who are you?" I tried to challenge him by getting in his face but the chain held me back.

"Am I that forgettable? I introduced myself to you before." He pouted, I felt my blood boil.

"You know what I meant." I snapped and he chuckled. He grabbed the single wooden chair in the room and sat on it, a good inch away from the radius I could travel in.

"I got your note back Amu, I am simply complying to your wish to help us." He smirked.

"I was right, you are a part of The Phoenixes." I breathed out.

"You're clever, no wonder he recommended you to us." Nagihiko left the pronoun to be vague, but I already knew better.

"So is Ikuto, is he not?" I questioned, he did not respond. "Of course he is, why else would he be so intrigued with me?"

"Don't sell yourself short, he watched you whenever he could during the two days that you were passed out." He told me and my eyes widened.

"Two days? Where the hell am I, I demand that you tell me!" I exclaimed, and now his amused expression fell.

"You're not really in a place to make demands, are you princess?" He stated my title scornfully, but I expected no less from someone in the rebel group.

"So you locked me here to serve no purpose?" I shook my leg, the rattling of the chain filled the room.

"If you served no purpose, then you'd be dead by now." He gave me a meek smile, and I felt myself swallow down a lump in my throat. "I didn't expect you to wake up so late, so I've lost most of the time I planned with you. I'll have to return you soon since your guards are going rampant trying to find you.

"Let's start with this, your parents have been manipulating you since were a child, I wouldn't be surprised if they orchestrated your first steps."

"I do not need another Ikuto telling me how evil my parents are. I regret handing back that note, and I will take no part in betraying them." I crossed my arms over my chest and he scoffed.

"What a blind follower, your parents should start their own religion." He reached towards the nightstand and opened a drawer, pulling out a folder. "The great thing about keeping every record online is that it is so easily hacked."

"What is that?" I raised a brow.

"Well look who's suddenly intrigued. Your country is in a massive debt Amu, and it is spiraling more and more by the week."

"There is no way, Dragran is rich with jewels."

"Healthy skepticism, I like it. Your country predicted your mines would grow empty by the 2000's, and would you look at what year it is?" He skimmed through the folder, glancing once over it to track my reactions.

"Mines do not just grow empty." I knew he felt my lack of confidence in that statement, and he was feeding on that.

"They do when you strip them dry to fund one of the largest and most chaotic wars that have ever taken place in the late 1800's. Have you ever wondered how Dragran has gained so much land?" I could not find any words, one side of my mind felt like defending my parents to my death, and the other side was telling me that I was finally get the answers I have been searching for.

"Through military force, through conquest. So perhaps you should stop reading that textbook of yours and pick up a reliable source." He spat.

"You are telling me that my parents kept a war from me, that seems a little absurd." I felt my anger rise again, I could not believe I was kidnapped to be fed lies.

"That's why you're not allowed out of the castle, to make sure you never learn of these things. Your parents already slipped up with the age rule." He brought up and I opened my mouth to protest, but no words came to my defense. "Well I suppose this meeting was only to stir up some thoughts in that brainwashed head of yours. For now I need you to keep up the act of a loyal daughter."

"You trust me enough to go back, and if I report you?" I threatened.

"Then you will never figure out the truth and what is best for this country, only what your parents want you to believe. I know you wouldn't risk giving that up." This confident man pushed the chair against the wall, the slamming noise alerting someone who I assume has been standing in the hall this entire time. "You will earn my trust with your behavior in the castle, and with that you will get more information."

"That is it? You really went through all of this to tell me some fairy-tales with zero evidence?" I pulled on the chain again, the tightness of the cuff aggravating my skin.

"Wake up sooner next time. Farewell Amu." He approached the person who was previously in the hall and whispered something in their ear. It was a male, with broad shoulders and narrow eyes.

"Also Amu, you're going to tell everyone that Ikuto found you and saved you from some abandoned house." Hearing his name made me flinch, I peered my eyes at the leader of the group and he winked at me. As soon as he left, the man just stood there with his arms crossed and eyes locked on me. The first couple of minutes were uncomfortable, but I grew used to his beady eyes.

I could not turn back anymore, I was involved with this group now and as equally guilty to treason as them. It hurt to know I would be stabbing my parents in the back, but I had to know the truth. How could they hide a war from me? And if that was true, how much more history did they alter to meet their agenda?

I heard footsteps and raised my head, expecting the long-haired boss but instead I saw the man who brought this upon me. Now he was dressed in the same black gear that Nagihiko wore, but with an expression far different than his.

"Amu." He breathed out, as if he had not seen me in years. I wanted to be free of my restraint, I wanted to scream at him for going behind my back for so long. Even with these murderous thoughts, my heart raced at the sight of him and I felt a certain relief cause my shoulders to slack.

"Ikuto." I stared at him from across the room, and we both took each other in for while. Our eyes never let the others as we tried to figure out what we wanted to say.


End file.
